RECAP...
ππ... It couldn't be!
Sensing her quiet state, he slowly turned around, stealing her breath. "Long time no see, Alora!" He smirked.
"W...What are you doing in here?" She asked frightened.
"Just came to pay a visit" He spoke calmly, slowly adjusting his cufflinks.
"Well then, you are not welcome here, Dalton Steel!" She spoke through gritted teeth, hiding her trepidation behind a granite expression.
"But here I am" He replied lazily and stepped further into the room without taking his eyes off her.
My ex husband
ππ... It couldn't be.
Maybe she was hallucinating or her eyes were playing tricks on her because Dalton Steel, her ex-husband and father of her kids couldn't be standing in the middle of her sitting room. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, hoping he'd disappear but he didn't. He stood in his full glory, looking as tall and handsome as ever.
How did he manage to find her so soon? It had only been a day and a few hours since they returned from England. And what does he want with her after seven years? Still lost in thoughts, she suddenly remembered the children. The housekeeper had called when she left the company and informed her that she was going to take the children around town. How could she have forgotten about that?
"What are you doing here?" She forced herself to ask.
Dalton smirked and adjusted his diamond cufflinks one more time. As always, he was a vision of classic elegance with his perfectly styled dark hair and his chocolate brown eyes set beneath thick, dark brows.
"Why don't we play a game, huh? A game of ten questions" He asked staring at her.
Alora shook her head and huffed. He still hadn't changed. Everything was a game to him. A game he always played to win and never to lose. Not only did he own companies all over the world, but he also owned the majority of the big-name casinos too.
"No, I am not playing your sick games with you!" She said firmly.
"Frank, Dexter, and Angie. Who are they?" He asked immediately and tucked both hands inside the pocket of his trousers.
"What how did he find out about my children and how did he know their names" She thought.
"Why do you care? And how do you even know them?" She Said with fear.
Dalton look at her and could see the terror flashing in her irises as she stumbled backward. She covered it up immediately and straightened her spine. Showing weakness was never an option, especially when it had something to do with Dalton and her children.
He took a step closer to her and her heartbeat seized. "Why don't you answer the damn question, Alora?"
"Why don't you leave, Dalton Steel? What are you doing here?" Alora said.
When their eyes clashed, she quivered but didn't look away.
Dalton paused and watched her silently. Everything about her was different, beginning with her eyes. She stood deviant and tall, her eyes alight with determination. The curly brown hair that had once been long and flowing was now short and sleek. It had been tamed and transformed, taking on a new look and style.
The curls were gone, replaced by straight locks that fell just below Alora's shoulders. The hair was shiny and smooth, framing her face in a way that was both sophisticated and chic. But in all, she still looked beautiful. Just that she didn't look anything like the lady he fell in love with a married years ago.
The memories burned in his chest but he shook it off. That was years ago. Years before she left without words. Now, as he looked at her, all he could feel was resentment oozing out of his pores.
"Why did you leave, Alora?" He said with anger.
"You cheated!" She said.
"Did he expect me to stay after finding out he cheated on me" She thought.
His eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"
"Do not act like a saint." She replied with gritted teeth. It was hard to believe they were even having that kind of conversation. "You and Carolina..."
"You have the nerves to say her name after what you did to her" He yelled.
His words were not supposed to hit hard after all those years but they did. They felt like a stab to the throat. He still chose Carolina over her, he still protected her even in her absence.
"She deserved it, the both of you!" She said.
"Were those tears glistening in her eyes?" Dalton thought and smirked. πΊπππ. Cause he wasn't even started. Now he found her, he was going to keep her and make her pay for everything she did.
"It's not cheating if you don't get caught, Alora." His eyes darkened and he smirked. "Now, back to the questions. Where were we?"
Hiding her trepidation behind a neutral expression, she asked. "How did you get in here?"
"Who are the kids, Alora?" He asked again.
Her heartbeat skipped but her neutral expression didn't weaver. "That's none of your business, Mr Steel. Now, leave before I call the cops!"
Dark annoyance threaded through his features, but only for half a second before that indifferent expression returned. "You're hiding something and trust me, I'm going to uncover all of them. And once I do... You know what I can do"
He paused and blood thumped in her ears. Another two footsteps reverberated off the low ceiling, then heat brushed against the nape of her neck as he walked closer to her. A stuttered heartbeat later, the familiar scent of cool mint and aftershave drifted under her nose. He still smelled the same and that did funny things to her stomach.
He was close. The realization caused goosebumps to prickle down the lengths of her arms, and her knees threatened to buckle underneath. He finally stopped in front of her and she was forced to raise her head and look at him. He was taller and it made her look smaller... ππππππ
"Once I uncover all you're hiding, I will crush and make your life a living hell" His thick, frost voice floated over the planes of her shoulders and she shivered a bit. "Thatβis a promise!"
"Why don't you get out of my house and go f*ck yourself?" She said.
Her words contained equal frost and her eyes blazed with fire and hatred he had never seen before. It was also good to see she had grown fierce and seemed untouchable. That made him want to crush her even more.
*****
*****
After he left with nothing but a dangerous smile on his face, Alora pushed herself towards the couch and sank on it. The air had finally lightened, and the knot in her chest loosened a smidge. But even with that, she found it hard to breathe. How could she breathe properly when everywhere smelled like him?
A single tear dropped from her eyes and she laughed bitterly. How could she be so stupid? She should've listened to her mother and stayed back in England but instead, she returned to the city which was partly dominated by Dalton. He had his claws everywhere and it wasn't surprising he had found them immediately.
Her mind played back to the conversation they had a while ago, the questions. How did he know about the children? He even called them by their names accordingly. Shivers ran down her spine when she remembered the look in his eyes. She had never seen them looking so cold and filled with darkness before. And then when he defended Carolina...
What happens now? She wondered.
"Mummy!" The children called out, breaking into her thoughts. She immediately jumped on her feet and rushed over to catch them halfway. "We missed you, mummy!"
"I missed you too!" She whispered and hugged them tight. Blinking back tears, she heaved in relief. Finally, the kids were back and her worries had vanished.
"Mummy, are you okay? Are you crying?" Angie asked when she kept hugging them tight.
"We're sorry we went away." Frank said.
"We just wanted to see the city! Do nummy stop crying" Dexter added.
Laughing, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "It is alright, I just missed my little princess and knights. Now, tell me how your day went"
The children started talking happily and she couldn't help but smile as she watched them. At that moment, she forced her mind to focus on them, instead of the surprise visitor. They were going to attend their new school the next day and she was going to start working. That was worth celebrating just as she had planned.
β’Β°β’Β°β’Β°β’
The next morning, she dropped the children off at school and strictly informed the teachers not to allow anyone to pick them up. With that, she rushed over to the company and was taken to her office.
"This... This is my office?" She asked.
"Yes. It is" Lauren, a lady in her mid-thirties with a high tight bun and suit responded. "And it is close to the boss's office"
"But why? I thought I'd stay with the other workers" she asked.
"A secretary cannot be far from the CEO" Lauren said.
Alora's mouth dropped open. "A secretary?" She thought.
"Didn't you receive the email?"Lauren said again.
Certainly not. Between Dalton's unexpected visit and the little celebration with the kids, she must've skipped it.
"Well, congratulations, you're the new secretary. Though I doubt you'll last a month like the others" Lauren added and started walking out of the office. "Follow me, let me show you around"
Once she followed her out of the office, she couldn't resist asking. "What happened to the other Secretary?"
"She was fired yesterday and trust me, it's still a mystery" She didn't say more and Alora didn't ask any more questions as she followed her around. Though she was a bit worried about her new position, she was excited too.
Alora was given a tour around the company and was introduced to the other employees. She was then provided with information about the company's policies and procedures and her position.
"If you want to last long, you must learn how to prepare his coffee the way he likes it" Lauren said.
"No sugar, no cream, it can't be that hard" She replied with enthusiasm and Lauren scoffed.
"More than twenty people lost that position because of coffee. Unless you wanna join the cue, I'd advise you take this seriously" Lauren said.