When Ember arrived at her apartment, the first thing she did was eat. Because she wasn't in the mood to cook, she settled for instant cup noodles and some garlic bread from her pantry.She stripped off her clothes to change after finishing her humble meal. She had just finished changing into a plain white shirt and black baggy pants when the doorbell rang.A frown made its way into her forehead.“Could that be Xiana?” She mumbled under her breath while taming her long hair into a ponytail after brushing it. On second thought, she considered the huge possibility it could be Icen.She stopped guessing and placed the brush on her vanity mirror. She walked barefoot across the carpeted floor and opened the door to find out.Her mouth dropped to the floor when she saw her unexpected visitor. The color in her face drained too.“M-mom!” She gasped in disbelief. Her fingers suddenly turned icy-cold. She blinked rapidly to make sure her eyes weren't playing a trick on her. But even after doing
Elizabeth would rather have Chloe as her daughter than Ember, even if she doesn't tell her that outright. The truth was that her mother was much nicer to her cousin than she was to her own daughter. Ember felt betrayed since she was treated differently like she doesn't belong to the family.She's tried her best to make her mother happy ever since she was a little girl so she could gain her love and respect, but it seems nothing she does is enough. Her mother has never found a redeeming quality in her. Either Ember is a complete failure, or nothing she did mattered.Mother's should love their child but why can't Elizabeth do that to her? She had asked herself that question for years but she still hasn't found the answer until now.Sometimes she questioned whether or not she really was Elizabeth's biological child. Chloe used to make fun of her for being adopted when they were both young. This was an idea she had previously dismissed, but recently she's begun to wonder if there might be
Ember took a sharp intake of air when her ex’s name was mentioned. She attempted to gain composure and put her attention on the conversation. Still, her mind kept wandering back to memories of her tumultuous relationship with Thunder and now to his upcoming wedding to her cousin which she couldn’t believe she will have to attend.“Is everything OK?” Perceiving her shocked reaction, Hazel quickly enquired, her features replete with anxiety. “I-I’m fine.”If you don't feel like going, you don't have to push yourself. Icen told me it’s up to you to decide. He wanted you to come on your own accord. Don’t force yourself to agree on something which is against your will.”Ember fell silent as she considered her options.Would she want to witness her ex-lover marry the woman he had an affair with? She posed this question to herself, and her immediate response was a resounding “NO.” With that answer in mind, she decided not to go.However, on second thought, she realized it could be an excell
The Chief Security Officer was accompanied by two security guards who had interrogated her the day prior.Ember was so overwhelmed with fear that she could not move, standing still like a statue that had been frozen in timeHer heart began to beat faster as the realization that she may be in trouble again crossed her mind, yet she did her best to remain calm and collected despite the fear.Gathering her strength and courage, she inhaled deeply and steeled herself for whatever was about to come. It felt like an eternity before they finally reached her.A brief friendly nod from the man gave her a sliver of assurance and her worries began to subside.The Chief Security Officer removed his cap and bowed his head, and the men standing behind him imitated his gesture. “Ms. Heart,” he began, he could not hide the embarrassment he felt when he spoke, but his attitude was surprisingly polite. “We are deeply sorry for the mistake that was made yesterday, and I have come here to express our
“Icen and Thunder had been best friends since they were teens.” Hazel's words dissipated as she was momentarily mesmerized by a sapphire blue Swarovski gown worn by one of the mannequins.Ember was in a state of riveted anticipation as she waited for her to continue.“Both of them vowed that they would attend each other's wedding, come what may. Though there was no more friendship between them, Icen chose to honor his pledge.”Ember was stunned to learn that her ex and her boss had been close in the past, however, what perplexed her most was the fact that their friendship had since dissipated.She was bewildered how this occurred.Not once in the course of the three years she had been together with Thunder did he ever speak of Icen’s name, nor did he allude to having a best friend.“What happened to their friendship?” Her eyebrows arched up in curiosity.“I wished I knew the full details,” Hazel expressed with regret, “What I know is both of the men were captivated by the same woman, h
Ember brushed off the unbelievable coincidence with a shrug. She let her attention return to Hazel who was now enjoying a glass of pineapple juice.“My vacation to Versailles wasn't entirely a pleasant visit, but I had a good time there nonetheless." A curious frown scrunched Hazel's forehead. She lowered her glass on the table and asked, "Why? What happened?" "You wouldn't want to hear it." Ember let go an embarrassed sigh, inwardly wishing Hazel would drop off the subject. Unfortunately it wasn't happening. "I'd like to hear it very much." Hazel urged her on. Her eager tone was hard to resist. She couldn't let her down and so she continued. "My best friend Xiana and I had decided to go on an adventure together, and one of our planned stops was an abandoned castle. Maybe we're both bored and out of our minds, so we didn't give it much thought and continued with our plans anyway.” Ember stopped, she was so embarrassed she couldn't bring herself to continue. "Don’t leave me hanging
“No!” The room was jarred by an ear-splitting scream. And the sole occupant of the bed was startled awake when she realized the noise had come from her lips. Xiara Evans eased her body to lean against the headboard. Her heart raced like crazy, as if she had just finished a marathon. The room temperature was freezing cold, but beads of sweat formed on her temples. Not only did her forehead feel damp, but her cheeks were soaked as well—this time from tears. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, but the fear and anxiety were overwhelming.Still under the influence of the nightmare, she was disoriented, clutching her chest with a terrified expression, and wondering where she was.It took a while for reality to set in. The moment she knew she was safe, she released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. But the knowledge that it was all a dream did nothing to diminish the monstrous fear she felt deep within.At first, she blamed the strain of her constant worklo
The exquisite blue sky had turned a pale orange when Xiana stepped out of the plane. She hailed a cab in order to reach her condominium and when she arrived, she dropped her belongings before heading out again. She went to the building's parking lot to retrieve her car without changing her clothes.A sigh broke from her lips as she climbed into her brand new Mustang and drove out of the parking lot.She was exhausted and tired. Above all, she desired to sleep. But she needed to see Dr. Coleen, her psychologist. The appointment was important and she wouldn't want to miss it.She promised herself that she would get enough sleep after she returned from her doctor's appointment.It took her 30 minutes to get to her destination.Her red Mustang came to a complete stop in front of an expansive ten-story building, located near the shopping district.Xiana stayed inside her car for a moment to check her face in the rearview mirror to ensure her eyes weren't puffy from crying for hours.The sw