Page 29 of Serenity

An airy living room was flanked by an open-concept kitchen and a wide hall that led to three bedrooms. Wall lighting added to the sultry mood of the space. The penthouse’s covered terrace boasted contemporary outdoor furniture, a fire pit, a concrete garden, and a hot tub. Sex and sophistication wept from the walls of the esteemed dwelling. Gray was a space that attracted souls of the same caliber.

For now, the suite was the place I’d call home. With the mansion that I once shared with Mya now on the market, renting the penthouse took the strain off searching for a place to live. Beyond suitable, it exceeded my needs and overstepped my expectations.

The twenty-four-hour state-of-the-art gym exclusive to guests and residents on the top floors was exemplary and equipped with a heated pool. Transformed from CEO to regular Joe, I exited my new home dressed in a cutoff shirt, running shorts, and Nike dunks covering my feet. The gym was my destination.

Ten seconds and five feet from my door, my nostrils swelled with the familiar and intoxicating fragrance. Amber, coffee, and bergamot danced on the tip of my nose. She was here. Invading my domicile, my private space, she reminded me that no place in this city could be left unscathed from her presence.

“Duke.”

“Mya,” Nostrils flared, I sneered, willing venom into the two syllables of her name. She siphoned air from the atmosphere. The pollution of her presence caused my muscles to involuntarily tense.

Twelve months dissipated, granting grace not to cross paths with the woman. Today, such favor fell short. Despite our distance, thoughts were plentiful, but words were few. She didn’t deserve my eyes, my voice, or any form of attention. She was unworthy of any energy supplied, including dissension. Grasping the fact, my quest for vengeance had subsided, as did the space in my heart for her.

“What are you doing here?” She asked as if she still maintained such a privilege. As if she owned the fucking building. As if I still owed her such courtesy.

“My comings and goings are none of your motherfucking business.”

Opting not to linger, I continued toward my destination. One foot ahead of another, my dunks carried me out of her proximity.

Thirstily and wordlessly, she watched me. Her limbs stiffened. As she subsided from my vision, I imagined her jaw collapsed as well. Hastening my stride, I forged distance between my past and present. Mya’s footsteps halted at the elevator. Not daring to turn around, I sensed her gaze as I paused at the end of the long hallway where the glass doors to the gym were.

As I shuffled my pockets for the keycard inside the state-of-the-art facility, her voice graced my ears yet again.

“I can have your head, you know?”

She tossed the empty words down the hall.

“All I need to do is show those girls what you sent me. They’ll sue your ass so deep, you’ll be shitting cash from now until the day you meet your grave,” she shouted the threat.

Try me, Mya.

Though grinning, I issued no response.

Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine were my objectives, not going back and forth in a verbal spat of empty threats from her and heavier promises from me. This was her MO. Gaslight until a fire erupted between us. Luckily I’d learned how to Class B extinguish her ass. With a tap of the keycard, I pushed forward, entering the space where my burdened pathos would be laid to rest.

MINE

Chaos. It reigned in Sadie and Supreme’s home. The two tiny tots they had were fifty percent of what the pair had in store. In-store it was. Sadie was baking a fresh batch of chaos with the twins. Irrespective of the fact, their present tiny duo did the work of double their presence.

Dolls, trucks, legos, and blocks all covered the living room floor. Sadie and Supreme had her work cut out for her.

Good thing Pre has the money to support them.

I failed to comprehend why they would want to add more to the mix. Sade and Trey were a damn handful. Sure, a child of Supreme’s own would be wonderful for the pair, but two?

Sadie explained that the twins were natural, with a single egg separating once the egg was transferred but still, the logic and attraction were lost upon me. If they liked it, I loved it, at any rate. They seemed happy so far.

My siblings had enough children to persuade me out of motherhood if it ever became a consideration. That pervasive illness hadn’t befallen me. The loss of freedom, the burden on my time, and the strain on my body were enough to disenchant me. Never would it be me.

Ms. Ira, their nanny, ushered a wailing Trey and an excitable Sade upstairs while I assisted my sister-in-love with her garden. Supreme hired an entire team to construct a vision comparable to Versailles across the colossal yard. Though immaculate, Sadie still pointed out where adjustments were needed. Supreme fussed about her inability to let hired hands do their job, but I understood her need to be part of the creative process. Gardening was one of my secret hobbies.

Once free of Sade and Trey, Sadie waddled her way into a seat beside me under the shade of a magnolia tree. Sculpted topiaries littered a thousand square feet of greenery. It was stunning and one of the many reasons I loved coming to their home.

The scent of calm wafted into my nostrils from the right, urging my gaze to a growing lavender patch. A pitcher of freshly squeezed lemonade sat on a concrete side table nearby.

“I’m tired, sis,” Sadie fussed, pouring lemonade into two glasses and handing me one.

“Almost, boo. You’re almost there.”

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