Halisa's POV:
Okay zaytun that's enough ice cream for one day, you'd get brain freeze for real
Halisa .. leave me, I need this, if it wasn't against my faith I would have gotten some whiskey or vodka, I need to forget reality
Fine, I understand.. but it's getting late, let's buy some and take home. I hate being out so late
Okay okay..fine, just get some more vanilla and chocolate before we leave!
..
Halisa .. can I stay at yours tonight.. I don't want to go home, you know I stay with my aunt, and she's also in support of this marriage, I don't want to go ! I don't want to goooo ...she says as she broke down in tears, it pains me dearly to see my best friend like this , from what I understand, that family is so toxic, her parents are far off in Syria and she's basically squatting with one of her aunts here in Miami, I've noticed how she always love staying late at work, or hanging out in Logan's apartment or mine .. I feel her pain, and it hurts me to see her in so much sorrow.. zaytun is a strong girl, she doesn't show emotions let alone cry , and now.. her emotions are all over the place, I wish there was something I could do
Of course zaytun.. my apartment is your apartment, you can stay whenever you want and however long you want, good thing you have some clothes over, let's go
There was a very comforting silence in the car as we drove up town.. the rain dropped uniformly on the windscreen as I drove at the speed limit to enable zaytun think .. you'd literally hear sound of other cars passing us by ..
After much minutes of driving, we finally arrived at the apartment
What took you guys so long! .. we heard Logan loudly say from his balcony, he had a glass of champagne in one hand and a novel in the other, wearing a pink robe .. wait, pink robe'
Is that my robe Logan!
Oh come on Lisa .. what's yours is mine anyways, I just felt the colour suited me .. he says with a disturbing wink
Oh whatever tho .. did you make dinner? We are starving
Yes ofcourse.. y'all should come over and eat, I made spaghetti.. he says with a proud grin
Oh no no.. y'all should carry on, I'm not hungry, plus I'm very tired, I'd just go off to bed alright .. zaytun says as she walked past me into the apartment, I made my way to Logan's.. which is just nine steps away..
Hay what's her deal .. Logan asked referring to zaytun's odd behavior
Sigh.. she's going through a lot, she doesn't want to marry Omar but the entire family is in full support
What! Then she shouldn't marry him if she doesn't, why should she be forced into marriage.. this is violation of human right!
Hay hay Mr "advocate" its not that simple .. I said with a slight laughter
Her people owes Omar so much money, so the marriage is basically the payoff
Owes him money? That doesn't justify shit you know, how much are we talking
Err just some millions of dollars.. I said with an unsure expression
Some millions, how much precisely Halisa.
Why do you care anyways.. do you have a thing for zaytun now
Ofcourse not Halisa.. it's only you I want, you know that, right.. he said with a sincere smile
Now, for real..how much is being owed
Fifty million dollars.. don't go questioning her about it, she specifically told me to keep it a secret,
FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!! .. he yelled,
oh shushhhh, keep it low, you know she could hear you right?
That's outrageous honestly, how's that possible.. I mean,, sigh..
That's more than half of my life savings and inheritance combined
Well, I could have gotten the money for her .. but I can't go back to Australia, and I want nothing to do with the kings or Atlantas wealth.. I added,
our counseling firm is just picking up, we haven't even made a reasonable amount to that yet.. and if we take money out, it might crumble..what do we do Halisa, zaytun needs us
Yeah, I thought of that, but as you said.. it'll crumble our business we've worked so hard to build, ...from my personal savings.. I have nine hundred thousand dollars.. which is not even significant compared to the amount at hand
Sigh..I'd sleep on this, by tomorrow I'd figure out how to help, our food is getting cold ya'know, we could watch a movie while eating, just to lighten up the mood, you know I hate seeing you sad .. Logan said while pulling me into a cuddly embrace
..............
Ace's POV:
The meeting ended not long ago,
Im headed to my office , i honestly need to relax.. three hours inside such a tensed room isn't easy ,it's rather exhausting..
"umm sir, Mr Kevin came by" My secretary isoken announced to me ..
Oh okay then where's he?'
Ace man come err'. I heard Kevin say from my office.. coming in to find him seated on my chair
Get yo ass out of my chair man'. I half-yelled out to him
Hay okay okay .. it's not that deep,
So how's it going' how is the CEO life treating you .. he said as he made air quotes laying emphasis to "CEO"
Well , Its fine I guess .. just time consuming
Ohh I do not relate to that .. he said with a light laugh'
But .. man, you coming to the club tonight"
Kevin, when last did you see me set foot in any club, you always ask this and the Answer is always no
"Oh come on, quit this fatherly nonsense.. you are freaking twenty five years old, where's the Ace I used to know" he says while shaking his head in disbelieve
No need to be dramatic alrighttt , i said as I nudged his shoulder slightly
He's right tho, I used to be the life of the party, I used to always spend my Friday nights and Saturday nights getting wasted, but the responsibilities became too much, I'm a father of two and I'm the present head of our company..
A wayward lifestyle would paint the face of our company, and I wouldn't want my children growing up knowing their father lives a questionable lifestyle.
I'm always so occupied with work, ..I really don't expect Kevin to understand as he is a professional photographer, where's the stress in that?
And Conrad, he chose a career in modeling, male modeling, they basically work side by side
Ace! You hear me?
Oh what was that, I'm sorry I have a lot to handle .. maybe another time alright
Pssss you've gone soft! , I'd be leaving now then, I need to pick up Alex and Conrad.. catch you later.. with that, he left
Checking my schedule to see I'm having a meeting in an hour time .. shit! Okay I'd just get thirty minutes of rest.. should I set an ..
a picture frame on my desk caught my attention as I made mental notes .
It was a picture of halisa carrying khaliya, I remember this was taken on khaliya's one year birthday.. the day Halisa left.
Honestly, I don't know why I have the photo framed up, but I just do.. I wouldn't lie, I miss all the good times we had growing up, we were like the musketeers, but this time just two.. it was me for her and her for me, the countless sleepovers we had, her covering up for me to sneak out, sigh.. honestly, I feel like I am more angry at my self than her, and for all this years I've succeeded in suppressing all the pain and emotions..I really need her around!! Halisa freaking kings where the fuck are you !!!!!
.. I yelled out of frustration..as much as I want to believe her absence doesn't hurt, it still does , each day of dreadful regrets ..
Sigh