Arian The sound of my phone ringing wakes me up but I don't bother opening my eyes and just reach out my hand to pick it up from my bedside table, swipe up to answer the call and put it to my ear. "Hello Diane." My voice comes out slurred because I'm still so sleepy but I don't care either way. All I can hear is someone breathing which makes my brows furrow and I force my eyes to open and remove my phone from my ear to look at the screen. It isn't Diane's number but an unknown number. "Hello... Who is this?" I am more alert now. I hope it's not my father playing pranks on me because he used to do that after I got separated from Rafael. "Missed me?" The dreaded voice I thought I would never hear again speaks in my ear and I freeze. "Raf... Rafael?" I ask to be sure. "Hello sweetheart." I know he's smiling even if I can't see him. "How're you doing baby?" "How did you... How did you get my number?" I've not had the chance to go out and get a new local SIM card but I didn't think
Gabriel "Stupid." I curse myself as I make my way to School Kit which is a store that sells educational materials. Kareena is all out of her favorite glitter pens and School Kit is the only store I can get it.I know I shouldn't have asked her out but I couldn't have stopped myself even if I'd had a gun to my head. Ever since I met her last week... she's been on my mind and I don't know why. I'm married to Lucifer's queen for the rest of my life so I don't think I have any business thinking about another woman. "Good morning Mr Cruz." A sales attendant walks up to me with a smile on her face. "Morning. Do you have Sparkle glitter pens in stock?" I ask her. "Yes sir." She nods. "It just got delivered this morning so you're in luck."I smile. "Very well. I want to buy twelve packets.""Okay sir. Anything else?""Six coloring books and two sketch pads." I reply."I'll get them for you sir." She smiles and leaves.I walk around the store just taking everything in when a woman bumps in
Gabriel "What's happening?" I demand immediately I settle down at the head of the table and Gabi sits next to me."Someone obviously leaked the information about our new product." One of the directors speaks up. "We're working on it sir.""Is there anything we can do?" Gabi asks. "We can... reduce the price of the laptop once it's released so we can have an edge over our competition." Another says. "No way." I snap. "Is that all you can say?" I glance around the faces at the table. "Can we change the design?""Well sir, considering how close it is to the release date... It'll be impossible." The assistant CTO says. "It'll derail our plans for the release and we can't let Sky Tech get away with what they did. It will also affect the next lineups."I let out a sigh. "Well... If we can't change the design then the function needs to be different. Can any new function be brought from another model?""Yes but the next product will be...""You can't guarantee that there will be a next one
ArianI was very surprised when I got the call about the interview. I'd found the ad on-line and I'd just decided to apply for the job without the hope of ever getting called for an interview because I'd left a lot of blank spaces due to the fact that... Rafael had not given me permission to do anything else except being his punching bag and sex slave when needed.Pushing the thought out of my mind, I grab my suitcase from its place by the wall and set it down before unzipping it then kneeling down to go through my clothes. I didn't come back here with fancy clothes even though Rafael had bought me designer dresses and shoes but I knew it was to show the world how generous he was. He'd wanted women to be jealous of me because I was married to him and they'd been - the women- but until I helped the police show the world just the kind of demon he was, they thought my life was a bed of roses. It had been hell on earth and even now... it still is.I sigh and shake my head, knowing it's n
Arian He'd made me watch. It had been brutal, horrifying and inhumane but Rafael had had someone hold my head so I couldn't turn my head away as he'd cut up Matteo's body. I let out a scream as the image refused to leave my mind and I slide down to the floor clutching the sides of my head and pleading with Rafael to let him go. "Arian!" A distant, concerned voice calls my name then someone's hands shake me. "Arian!" "No. No!" I shake my head. "No!" I feel arms around me and then a soothing voice begins to ring in my head telling me everything is going to be alright and my strangled sobs turn into quiet sniffles. I'm suddenly in Mrs Collins's office and not in that terrible place. I never want to go back there. "Should I call our family doctor mom?" I hear Mrs James ask. "No." Mrs Collins replies. "Not yet." I realize how foolish it was of me to go down memory lane - that memory lane - and now they probably think I'm certifiably mad. I mean, who stares off into space and then st
Arian"Told you." The stupid voice sings in my head as I stare at the woman in front of me.I knew I wouldn't get the job but I didn't expect that it'd hurt this bad. I'd be homeless by Sunday and even when Mrs Collins offered to let me stay in her house, I had to refuse. But I really thought that my heartfelt speech about taking care of her children would change her mind if she'd not wanted to hire me in the first place."No one likes you Ari." The voice snickers sardonically. "Go back to Rafa. He'll take you back."I think I'll rather shoot myself and end it all before I go back to Mexico with my tail between my legs. "Um..." I start. "Okay ma'am. I understand."The woman shakes her head then presses a button on the intercom on her table. "Belinda?""Yes ma'am?" The same voice that answered me earlier speaks."Bring Kary to my office." She orders."Yes ma'am."She releases the button and looks back at me. "You're not going to take care of my children because I can do that myself bu
Gabriel I have been anxious since I dropped off Kary at Gabi's house this morning but I can't say why I am. It's probably because I've been dying to know the outcome of the interview and I didn't want to call Gabi to find out until I got back from the construction site.Pulling up in front of her house by 7pm, I let out a sigh and rotate my neck to relieve the tension that has built up there, then I turn off the engine, unfasten my seatbelt and get out of the car. I know dinner is probably long over but I hope Gabi left some for me because I'm starving.I shut the door, press the lock button on my key fob and I make my way up the short steps and into the house. The construction site is a new branch of Emerson Cruz Group outside of Lagos and I probably should have had someone drive me - preferably Micah- but I'd wanted to drive to clear my head and hope that I didn't make a mistake telling Gabi to hire Arian."I'm home!" I call out as I step into the living room."Uncle Gabriel!!" Gab
Gabriel I frown in my sleep wondering why I'm bouncing. A little voice calls out to me then small hands simultaneously shake me awake and I groan. "Good morning daddy." Kary's cheerful voice sings. I want to turn on my back but can't and I soon realize that she's sitting on my lower back. That's probably why I was bouncing in my sleep. "Morning baby. Did you sleep well?" My voice is groggy from sleep and I have to force myself to keep my eyes open even though I'm still very sleepy. "Yes daddy." She says. "I had fun playing with my new nanny." "So, you like her?" I sound hopeful. "Yes. She's really cool." She replies. "I know we'll be good friends." "That's good to hear." I say. I'm happy that Kary likes Arian and all that talk with Gabi last night about Arian's relationship with her ex husband - though insightful - is something I've decided I will overlook. I reach behind me to tap Kary's leg and she climbs off me so I am able to turn on my back to look at her. She's dres