All Chapters of Anna’s Dilemma : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My father threw his glass.“You are crumbling this empire I built with blood and sweat,” he said angrily.It had been months since Don made me CEO. Things were getting worse. The banks were closing in. Partners were pulling out. I was not doing something right.“I am supposed to be retired and not baby sitting you.You are a grown woman.”“I am trying Don, I am.” It took another minute of silence.Then my father gave me the shocker of my life.“You have two weeks,or get ready to be married to Adrian.”“What? Married?Who is Adrian?” I gasped, “What do you you mean Don?”“Adrian Angelo.” Don Raph Angelo was one of the most successful cartel owners.He ran banks, casinos.He was in the government.Untouchable.With influence,he had successfully pushed and kept people put of business. My father believed marrying into the family was going to give us a tie that would stay unbroken forever.”What do you mean marry Adrian? We could reach him for partnership.”“Basano holdings owe too much alrea

I remember when I first met Michael.I never liked him.And I still do not.It all began in tenth grade.I was the best student in class.From acing every Math,Science and History test to representing my school at every competition. Until this new boy moved to my school. Professor Ruff was taking us on Chemistry class when the Principal walked in with him. He wore a clean leather jacket that I could see my self through if I moved closer.He was really tall and I guess his height would have beaten Jake,the boy who boasted about being the tallest in class then.He had brown hair, and his brown skin shone.He looked around class with his cold blue eyes as the principal introduced him. “This is Michael.Michael Alonzo.”“Alonzo? The Alonzo?” Professor Ruff asked.“Yes,the Alonzo.” The Principal gave a smirk and walked away.The name rang a bell. Only one Alonzo did. Don Enzo Alonzo. My father had spoken about him a million times growing up. He was a business mogul just like my father and the

It was time.Time to make the engagement public.The hall was well lit,cameras flashing.It was the launch of the CATF(Children are the future foundation). A foundation Michael co-headed with his friend,Matt. It was Matt’s vision.A vision that he had shared publicly and had been on the blogs for months.Michael and I walked in locking hands. I could hear whispers. Interviewers ran towards us seeing it was the first time we appeared in public together. Deep down,I felt empty. I had to keep up with the fake smiles.Michael carried on well.His confidence and aura was perfect for the brand. He greeted dignitaries and introduced me as his girlfriend.I let out a frown the fifth time I heard “girlfriend”. And he noticed. “You are going to blow your own cover.Better stay in character,”He whispered.It was time for the speech. Michael walked up the podium.The noise and music died down. It was his night. He adjusted the mic with so much ease. His gaze swept across the crowd,then it landed ju

ANNA’S POVI woke up before my alarm. The AC was humming in the silent apartment. My phone was lying black on the nightstand. I did not have to look to realize that my head was still reliving last night. Michael intruding into my space. The warmth of his jacket on my shoulder. How my breath really caught as he leaned in. I shoved the covers off and stood up. I wasn’t going to let a guy in a tailored suit throw off my morning routine.I did not take the coffee, but went to the desk. The bid book was open. I opened up a list of vendors on my laptop and began to compare names to the list of guests attending the charity launch. Three suppliers withdrew during the night. Two got substituted with junior reps who would not be able to tell the difference between a logistics manifest and a delivery slip. I entered replacement orders, dispatched them to the dispatch team, and marked the priority routes. I played the keys swiftly with my fingers. Work kept me clean of head.My phone buzzed. Sofi

ANNA’S POVI parked the sedan in the unmarked lot at the back of the old shipping terminal. The GPS was no longer updating 3 blocks ago, indicating that the signal jammer in the vicinity was working. I threw the switch, took my bag and went out into the cool air. The factory belt was silent save the low hum of the ventilation system and the passing of a freight truck on the access road every now and then.I went to the steel service door and read the number plate. 412. Same as the key. I took the tarnished brass out of my pocket and slipped it into the deadbolt. It swung with a great clack. I opened the door and went into the stairwell.The building wasn’t a bank. It was a personal storage wing in the form of a logistics warehouse. Don Basano used it for high-value assets. The old routing codes were the same as those of Don Alonzo. I was familiar with the layout since I had been auditing the off-book properties of Basano in the past two years. I moved up the stairs, counting the landi