After a minute, Daniel walks inside, wearing his most understandable, befuddled look on his face. He must be feeling lost and unbelieving of what just happened. “Are you alright, boss? I mean, are you okay?” He asks as he sinks back into the seat.Now, how do I answer that? Am I okay? Definitely not!From the moment I first met her, it's like something ignited within me—a savage fire that has been burning ever since. Her presence consumes my thoughts, her aqua eyes piercing through me, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.But it's not just her beauty that captivated me. It is the intensity of her emotions and the strength of her strong beliefs, even when they are laced with wrath and hatred. Every word she spoke back in that cage is still echoing in my mind, every gesture etched into my memory. And yet, amidst the fierceness, there is a warmth and a tenderness in her that I can't shake.Her voice reverberates in my ears. It's like I am haunted by her presence and her situation,

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. She challenged me, so now it is me against her. And I assure you, it won’t even be long until I have her for myself. She will bear this name that she detests so much. She will have this disgust for a man that she does not want to even set her eyes on. She will be mine soon, either by hook or by crook!” I affirm, scared of this side arising in me. I have never felt this way in my entire life. I am scared of myself.“Even if it means being an added problem to her overflowing cup of miseries? Bro, there is an innocent child in the picture. Think about that first.” Daniel tries to speak some sense into me, but my mind is fully made up and there is no turning back.“You speak like I am a devil, Daniel,” I state, looking at him as he cowards back. “Come on, I am not going to hurt her. I am not some kind of ruthless rogue that roams around bleeding terror on anyone. I could be her savior in her distress, you know? At least look at it from that brighter perspe

“Why is nobody talking, huh?” Ayana snapped after a moment of dreadful silence. They were right there, staring at her as if she were an entertaining character in a live soap opera, which was not what Ayana needed. She needed answers. She needed them to come out clean and tell her what sort of deal they had made on her freedom yet again. “I said I was not marrying that sick bastard of De'Leon, and I meant every single word of it. So if you are here to offer me freedom on the grounds of me belittling myself to that man’s rotten stature and caliber, you are wasting your time,” she affirmed, anger boiling in her. Her face was turning red from ear to ear.“Then so be it. You don’t want to marry him? Then fine. We won’t impose on you again.” The amount of mockery and shock that slapped her with her father’s words was immeasurable. She could no longer hold back the shock. It was all over her face.“Excuse me?” She muttered, wondering whether she really heard her father right.How? Weren’t th

By the time the sun rays were invading her cottage the following morning, Ayana was staring at her packed luggage, which did not consist of much. She just packed her and her daughter’s clothes and shoes and some of her paintings that fit in a box. She didn’t know her destination, so the less luggage there was, the less tiresome their journey to nowhere would be.She was still staring at the rest of the belongings that she was leaving behind—to be precise, her paintings. They were the second part of her soul. She would have loved to take them, but she knew better than herself. She figured out that she might need to carry Lyana at some point in their journey, so overloading herself was a bad idea.“I will have to leave you behind, and I am sorry. I can’t promise that we will ever unite,” she said faintly, a tear dropping as she bid goodbye to the painting. “I will leave you here, not as part of the bitter memories that I am leaving behind, but because I have no way of carrying you where

Grace's triumphant entrance into the De’Mario mansion was met with a wave of relief that washed over the grand halls like a cleansing breeze. Her demeanor radiated a sense of resolution and satisfaction that couldn't be concealed, and her grin was a testament to the weight that had been lifted from her shoulders.With a theatrical sigh, she sank into her seat, reveling in the newfound peace that enveloped the mansion in Ayana's absence, a feast smiling at their faces awaiting to be dovered as the celebrations commenced. It was as if a dark cloud had finally been lifted, allowing the De’Mario family to bask in the sunshine of their own righteousness. “Phew! The disgrace is gone. We can now live in peace and harmony like before, and we don’t have to lie to people anymore about her whereabouts. I don’t know how we have managed this for six years, honestly.” Grace voiced as she jubilantly sank to her seat.But amidst Grace's jubilation, there lingered a hint of caution, a subtle reminder