Chairman Kingsley/ Roan Senior
The sun drapes golden ribbons over the horizon, casting a warm glow through the tall windows of the seaside villa. The salty breeze carries whispers of waves crashing against the rocks below, a comforting sight that I have grown to cherish over the years.
I shuffle into my office, leaning heavily on my cane as I step onto the marble floors.
Charlene is there, her presence like a gentle tide washing over me. She's always been my anchor. With soft hands that have known both labour and love, she guides me to my chair. "Sit down old man," she says softly, brushing a stray strand of silver hair from my forehead before stroking through the remaining strands with tender care.
I feel her fingers grazing against my scalp, it soothes me in ways words cannot express. "Is your back painful today?" she asks gently.
"It's not that bad," I reply with a wave of dismissal. "I just need my medication." As I set aside my cane with a quiet thud against the floor, Charlene rose to pour a glass of water, her movements fluid and graceful.
She returns with a cup in hand and pills nestled delicately in her palm. "Why not just give them the divorce?" she probes lightly but firmly, concern etching her brow as if it were woven into her very being. "All you had to do was call the registrar's office not to file the paperwork."
"Thank you," I murmur as I accept both water and pills from her outstretched hand. They feel cool against my weathered skin, an elixir for both body and spirit. As I swallow them down, Charlene settles beside me on the couch and leans into me with an audible sigh that echoes around us.
"Sunny might have saved Roan when they were children," I finally say after what feels like an eternity of silence weighing heavy between us. I wish my grandson will have the kind of relationship I have with my wife.
The position as the family patriarch isn't easy and it will not help having a partner who will stab him in the back. This is why I never liked Sunny. There was something about her that unsettles me deeply.
"But she is not good for him." A frown tugs at my lips as I recall how much hold she has on Roan. It is as though his brain turns off when it concerns her.
Charlene glances up at me and asks, "What makes you say that?"
"I can't quite place it," I admit reluctantly. I sigh, the burden of my decisions pressing down on me. I have always been good at reading people, it's why I am where I am today. My gut has never led me astray, and I had planned to put Sunny under an airtight prenuptial agreement when the incident in the hotel happened.
At first, I thought Selene genuinely liked Roan and had created an opportunity for herself. Using the scandal in the media, I convinced my grandson to marry Selene. It was quite easy to convince him because Sunny had endorsed it before she ran off to God knows where.
But now, it turns out Selene didn't even like my grandson, especially after being mistreated so much by him in the past two months.
"If they divorce then Roan will run after Sunny like an idiot. I wanted them to work things out." My sigh mingles seamlessly alongside hers, a sigh of exasperation. "So… I used the law, to buy them another hundred days."
"And if it doesn't work out?" Charlene queries softly while intertwining her fingers with mine. "Then I will let go. I can only interfere this much. It's better this way."
"I trust you know what you are doing," she whispers sweetly before lying her head on my shoulder with a sigh.
***
Selene
I lay under my covers, my body trembling uncontrollably. I was dreaming of the night I had died. I lay on the snow-covered road helpless and unable to get away as the blinding lights grew brighter and brighter. Just when I thought I was going to die I jolt awake, drenched in sweat. I reach for my phone and it glows back at me with a cheery 7:00 AM.
Yesterday felt like an eternity ago. The flight home had been suffocating, my parents' faces were ugly the entire journey back. When the private jet landed they had tried to drag me back to their house where nothing good awaited me. I was never going to go with them, and if they insisted, I was going to scream stranger danger with no shame.
Fortunately for them, Chairman Kingsley had intervened insisting that I move in with Roan instead. My mother smiled stiffly, but when I sneered at her behind the chairman's back, her smile cracked like a porcelain mask cracking. I could tell she was regretting giving birth to me at that moment. The memory of her smile uglier than crying brought a fleeting smirk to my lips.
Instead of moving in with Roan as stated by the chairman, I had returned to my apartment and immediately collapsed into bed. I jump up from my cocoon of blankets feeling invigorated. I am excited to see my friends I hadn't seen for ten years in my past life. An hour later I am standing outside my apartment building, bag slung over one shoulder while I order a ride on my phone.
As I wait on the sidewalk I spot a black SUV parked across the street with tinted windows. A sly quirk tugs at the corners of my mouth, guessing if it is Lina or Roan who sent them. Whoever it is I no longer care. I am done playing their games.
I hop into the car as soon as it arrives. Twenty minutes later, I arrive at Lil' Zing, a coffee shop with a sign hanging atop the two-story building. I thank the driver and got out, my excitement growing stronger. I step inside and inhale deeply. The rich aromas fill every corner like an embrace from old friends.
The place is buzzing with life, customers animatedly chatting while baristas bustle about making the orders but all eyes turn toward me when I wave at Jenna behind the counter. She waves back absentmindedly, but when she realises it's me, she is startled. Her startled gasp cuts through another customer's complaint about service delays echoing in the background.
I enter the office at the back. Inside, a young, handsome man I hadn't seen in ten years is sitting with a serious look on his face, focusing on his computer and invoices. I knock softly on the door. Without looking up, he said, "Come in."
I fold my arms across my chest and tease lightly, "Captain Kirk must be busy." Recognising my voice, he glances up suddenly, his gaze locking onto mine with surprise etched across his face.
"Selene?" His voice cracks slightly, disbelief colouring his tone as he stood abruptly. "I thought you weren't coming back."
"Yes, I wasn't but here I am," I reply simply. As the new Mrs. Kingsley, I wasn't supposed to return. I had to be a good wife, working at the family company and taking care of my husband. I was no longer allowed to associate with people outside the family circle, so I had already said goodbye to everyone, including Kirk. They even had a tearful farewell for me.
Kirk, a retired marine who inherited this building from his parents, had opened the coffee shop. I had rented the upstairs office with my friends June and Levi for our small company. Over the years, we had developed a friendship, which is why I feel comfortable around him.
Kirk studies my hand closely before asking, "You didn't get married?"
"I did," came my reply tinged with a bittersweet tone, "but I will be free again soon... in one hundred days."
He smiles while scratching the back of his head. "Good! It's good to have you back!" He exclaims enthusiastically.
I nod, and Kirk walks out of the office excitedly, saying, "The usual, right? I will personally prepare it. It's on the house."
I follow behind him and watch him prepare two steaming lattes and one black coffee accompanied by delectable pastries.
While I wait, he keeps glancing in my direction to check if I am still there, making me laugh. My attention suddenly drifts outside where another black SUV is idling quietly across the street housing two men.
"Kirk add two more black coffee and doughnuts," I call out playfully while staring at the car. Kirk makes an okay gesture.
Five minutes later I walk outside to the street, feeling the cool morning air on my skin. With a languid smile, I rest my arm on the door of the black car. The two men inside are startled when I knock on the window. They roll it down halfway, their eyes wary.
"May we help you?" one of them asks.
"Come on, boys, don't be like that. I wasn't born yesterday," I say, passing them the coffee and doughnuts. "Here, we all need a pick-me-up in the morning."
They hesitate for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you, Madam," they say in unison.
"No problem," I reply, leaning in slightly. "So, who is it? Lina or Roan?" They exchange glances but remain silent. I chuckle softly. "Never mind. Just tell the others to buy coffee here. It's quite good."
I give them a wink and turn to walk back into the coffee shop, feeling their eyes on me the whole time. This time around I won't cower at their intimidation.