"Is there a problem?" Giovanni asks as I continue to stand there like a scarecrow with performance anxiety in a field of overconfident crows.
I hesitate for a moment, take a deep breath and walk in, closing the door behind me."Gio—Mr. D'Errico, I-I need to t-talk to you...i-in private," I say, feeling like a broken record player stuck on the stutter track."They continued to stare at me, there were about seven of them gathered around the big round table with Giovanni sitting in the middle."Who on earth is this woman? Doesn't she know that interruptions aren't allowed during a meeting like this" one of them says angrily, he has a thick Arabic accent as he glares at me."Isn't she Emily Rivera, the heiress to the Rivera fortune!" One of them exclaims. The room began to fill with murmurs making me feel uncomfortable as they all looked at me with growing interest now. I look at Giovanni again, silently willing him to get up.He gets up finally and they all stop taking as he advances towards me."Let's talk in private, excuse me, gents." He says to them as he leads me into another extension of his office which turned out to be a private room. It was cozy, equipped with a small bar, a long sofa, a small closet in the corner and a plush rug."The room is soundproof." He says as he crosses his hands and leans on the wall.His eyes land on my blouse "What happened to your blouse?'' he asks with knitted brows. "Oh i-i" I try to hide the stain with my hands "It's just a little accident that happened". He looked like he was about to say something."There was an article written about me in a newspaper that was very humiliating." I quickly said before he could say anything else.He uncrosses his hands "That's just the news, Emily, they say whatever they want just for more viewers, you shouldn't pay attention to it, but if it bothers you, I'll make sure the article gets taken down and never resurfaces.""Aside from that I didn't know you had a bunch of gossipers as employees, I heard some of your employees paint colorful pictures about me while I was in the bathroom," I say exasperatedly.He sighs "That's just how they talk. You'd be surprised what they say about me".I remembered what they said but felt like I didn't need to repeat it to him. It was weird enough.I knew when I married this man things like this would happen anyways. I don't even know why I came to his office, he was right things like this happen every day. I instantly felt embarrassed and stupid that I had interrupted his meeting for something like this. Way to go Emily.I play with my fingers in embarrassment and keep my head on the ground refusing to meet his eyes."Stop that," He says.I looked up, he was looking at me again, slight annoyance written on his face. I drop my fingers."About my employees, I'm sorry for that, I'll make sure to address them properly, if they show any disrespect towards you again they'll pay for it, and the ones who caused this stain on your blouse, I'll make sure they pay dearly for it.""N-no it's my fault, I had mistakenly knocked my coffee down during the meeting, it's not anyone's fault," I say quickly, I didn't want any more trouble on my first day here.it was obvious he wasn't convinced but he didn't push any further."We'll get back to that but first you'll need a change of clothes, the driver will take you to the mall to get new clothes, here's my credit card", He brings out a credit card from his pocket.I stare at it in shock. It was a J.P. Morgan Reserve card."Buy as many clothes as you want." He brings out his cell phone and dials a number, it rings once then he exchanges a few words with the person on the other line and hangs up."The driver is waiting for you downstairs, He moves to the corner of the room and opens the closet then brings out a shirt, "Here, wear this" he takes a white plain shirt from the closet and hands it to me.He continues to look at me and I glare at him."Oh sorry." He says and quickly turns around facing the other direction.I quickly remove my blouse and put on the shirt. It was big, so I rolled up the bottom to make it look better. When I was done. I adjusted my hair and released it from its bun."You can turn around now" He turned and gives me an approving look."We'll talk later okay?" He says softly moving closer then goes to the door and I follow behind him."Sorry for the delay gentlemen" He nods to me. I give the room a quick smile and a look of apology then go out of his office.At the entrance waiting for me was a tall man in a chauffeur hat. He tipped his hat "Good morning ma'am, I'm Josh".I greet him back and he leads me to the black limousine. I enter into it and make myself comfortable. it smelt clean like it was recently washed."Where are we headed to?" I ask."The Lukman Mall, ma'am" It was a popular mall known for its luxury and taste. I had been there a few times but that had been years ago.We make our way to the mall and upon getting there the driver hands me a pair of shades "I think you might need this ma'am" I look at it surprisingly.I take the glasses and wear them, entering the mall. After hours of shopping, I found a beautiful pink shirt I changed into. I bought more stiff. I mean Giovanni had said I could buy as much as I want. Since I couldn't have access to my money, I might as well use his however I like, right? I chuckle in my head.If I'm not stopped I might buy a jet with his money.The driver was by my side all through helping me with the packages. As I was paying for a dress, I noticed a man staring at me from a corner of the store. What was strange about the man was that he just stood there unmoving looking right at me He had a very unsettling look on his face.Feeling very uncomfortable, I looked at the cashier, who looked at my card and then at me, she looked at me longer than normal, and her face suddenly lit up."Wait, you're Emily Rivera. Oh my Gosh, it's not uncommon to see celebrities here in our store but this- oh my Gosh can I get a picture?" She squeals.I laugh nervously "I am so sorry but I need to go," I say. I didn't want to stay in the store any longer. I look back again. The man was no longer there, I looked around uneasily but he was nowhere to be found. I sigh in relief."Let's go," I say to the driver as I exit the store. He takes my package and we exit the mall and take off. After some minutes, my mind goes back to the man and a shiver runs down my spine. I'm not sure but he looked somehow familiar."Would you care for a drink ma'am?" The driver says he looks at me through the mirror."That wouldn't be necessary I'm f-The next thing I saw was shatters of glass and a piercing ringing in my ears before everything goes dark.I wake to the sound of loud beeping noises in a strange room, surrounded by bright lights and white walls. Confused and disoriented, I tried to sit up but felt a headache and noticed tubes and wires connected to me. Everything felt scary and unfamiliar, and I couldn't remember how I got here. The beeping sounds from the monitors made me even more anxious, as I struggled to figure out what was going on.I try to recall what happened, but my mind was blank. A nurse walks into the room as I attempt to get down from the bed, she rushes to my side. "No, no, no, miss D'errico. You're not in the right condition now. Please lie down, you need more rest" She gently pushes me back down. "What happened, why am I here? What's going on?" I ask anxiously in a loud tone. "Calm down Mrs. D'errico, you were involved in a car accident this morning and was rushed here shortly after."My head was spinning with questions. An accident? How long had I been in the hospital? Then it hit me. Memories of the
As I sat on the edge of my bed, I took a deep breath and reached for the tubes attached to my body.My mother put her hands on me."No you can't, you'll hurt yourself,' she said, placing her hands on mine. I could see the worry in her eyes. I tried to control my breathing, but my mind was spinning. The constant beeping of the machine and the sterile hospital smell made matters worse. The door opens and Giovanni walks in calmly. 'What happened, who was murdered?' I ask frantically, my heart racing and my mind filled with fear and confusion. I catch the quick look he gives my mother, and my anxiety only grows."The driver, apparently someone snuck into his ward and killed him," Giovanni responds in a calm tone, almost as if he's talking about the weather. My mind goes blank for a moment as I process this information. Oh my God, I say to myself, putting my hand to my mouth in shock."You'll be discharged today," Giovanni continues, his voice still calm and collected. I can't believe what
"Emily, I need to talk to you...in private," he emphasized, his tone serious and urgent. I looked at him with astonishment, wondering why he couldn't discuss whatever it was in front of us. Did he have no shame?"It seems Mr. Lockwood has lost his manners". Giovanni says cooly.Zachary looked like he wanted to punch something. He gave me a hard look, when we were married that look meant that I was out of line and wanted to keep me in check. "We have nothing to discuss Zachary", I say, slowly wrapping my hand around the fork, trying to control my breathing. "Emily, we need to talk about us," He says. I look at him in shock. Giovanni lets out a small chuckle. "Zachary, what the hell are you talking about? There is no us" I say. "I don't care about your current husband. I'm not sure what kind of messed up relationship you have with this man, all I know is that it won't last" He says completely ignoring Giovanni's presence.I look up at him, "We're divorced for a reason, there's nothi
I stare at the text again and again, a shiver running down my spine. An eerie feeling wraps around me as I attempt to call the mysterious number, only to be met with the chilling response of it being invalid.Returning to the room, Giovanni, casually pouring himself a glass of wine, senses my unease. He drops the crystal glass on the table as he notices the distress etched across my face."What's wrong?" he inquires, his sharp eyes probing mine.Attempting to mask my anxiety, I mutter, "Nothing, just a wrong number."His gaze intensifies, and he presses, "Who called you?""Just a mix-up," I say. Unconvinced, Giovanni steps closer, concern etched on his formidable face. He cups my chin forcing me to look up at him as he demands the truth. I reluctantly bring out my phone and show him the ominous text message. He examines it silently but a visceral feeling radiates off him and the room becomes cold. The room charged with an unspoken threat."I'll get to the source of this, don't worry
"Emily dear, how are you? it's been such a long time." Her smile is similar to the big bad wolf's. I had lived with her all those years, I wasn't moved nor fooled by it. "Aren't you going to ask me to sit?" She queries impatiently. I reluctantly gesture to one of the chairs In front of my desk. Her eyes scan my office not missing a single detail, I watch as a slight frown comes across her face. "This is nice. It's homely," She praises in her way. Mama Lockwood doesn't give out compliments freely. I smile stiffly, "Thank you, ma'am.""Let's get down to why I'm here, it must come off as a shock to see me here this morning. Emily dear I know we've not always seen eye to eye and I want us to set our differences aside. Come back home to Zachary, I'll be willing to forgive you for leaving. I know you wronged Zachary but he's willing to take you back and that's fine. You love him don't you?" She says. I look at her incredulously. What?!!"With all due respect Mrs Lockwood, your son che
I sip my coffee and try to relax."Is everything all right?" Her voice filled with worry as she asked me. I look around the café, trying to gather my thoughts and make sense of the situation. The bodyguard was standing by the car and I relax a bit but at the same time, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in my mind."Um... everything's fine," I said finally, trying to reassure Salma and myself. But deep down, I knew that everything was far from fine.My phone rings and Giovanni's name pops up on my screen. My heart skips a beat as I answer the call."Emily, where are you?" Giovanni's voice sounded urgent."I'm at a cafe, it isn't far from the office. Why, what's happening?" I reply my voice shaky. "Your mother sent a concerning message to me," Giovanni continued, "She said she got a scary message and asked if I was with you."My mind raced as I tried to think of what could have scared my mother so much."Get out of wherever you are Emily, it's not safe. I'll b
"We need to report this to the police Mom," I say to her."No-no, there's no need for that," She says shaking her head vigorously. She looked distressed. "What do you mean there's no need? This is a serious matter, I'll just grab my phone from my bag and tell them about this," I retorted, rummaging through my bag for my phone. "No, Emily. You will do no such thing. Don't involve the police in this situation," my mother insisted, her tone becoming more serious.I am taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor as I look at her in astonishment. I look at my phone and then back at her. I didn't know what to do. "Okay Mom, let's just wait for Giovanni to come back home." I finally say, dropping my phone. She nods her head. I spend the rest of the day, telling her about father's company, Salma, Reynolds. I talked about anything, trying to get her mind off the message. It wasn't until evening that Giovanni arrived. I was so relieved to see him that I didn't know what came over me as I
His touch was gentle, yet firm, as he traced the curves of my face. His movements are slow and soft yet urgent. As I pressed my lips against his, I could feel the electricity coursing through my body. The familiar taste of his lips, the way they fit perfectly with mine, our tongues dancing together, sent shivers down my spine. I could feel the intensity building between us, wanting more with each passing moment. His hands roamed my body, pulling me closer to him. I could feel his warmth radiating through his touch, making my knees go weak. I ran my fingers roughly through his hair, pulling him even closer as I deepened the kiss. I could feel his breath quicken, his heart beating in sync with mine. Our bodies molded together perfectly, as if they were made to fit together. The heat and passion between us burning strongly.As our lips parted, I looked into his eyes and saw the desire in them, he wanted more and so did I. I couldn't resist the urge to taste him again, to feel the rush