Gone Forever brings to bear the realities in life, the nothingness of man, the disappointment in life and above all the courage to face it. Never allow age or a situation to kill your dreams otherwise the society will not forgive you. All the characters in the book were able to rule over their destiny so you can do it too. In the book, you will realize that results happen overtime, not overnight. Work hard, stay consistent and be patient. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked; it has no choice and it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.
CHAPTER 1
GONE FOREVER
ASABEA LEAVES NIMAKO
Asabea with Delphina her mom and Spencer her dad stood on their porch and waved good-bye to Nimako and her family as they drove away.
Tears sprang from Asabea's eyes as she watched her best friend, who had been her neighbor all her life, leave. Asabea and Nimako had known each other since infancy. They went to school together and ate together at school. You would never see one without the other. They were known as "Two Musketeers"
In fact, their friendship was something to emulate. Suddenly, they had to separate. For Asabea, it was an agony she had to go through. 'When your best friend moves to Nigeria on the last day of school, it's a sure bet that you are about to experience the worst vacation ever,' she thought. Asabea's mom watched her daughter's face carefully, seeing her look of dejection and misery; she hugged her and said, 'You know Nigeria isn't that far away. Perhaps if you save some money, you could afford to visit Nimako this vacation.' At this time, Asabea couldn't know what to do. Tears dropped from her eyes like ice cubes falling on a roofing sheet. The more she tried to control her tears, the more they came out.
After hours of crying, when no more tears were coming, Asabea asked her mom half jokingly, 'Am I about to get a substantial increase in my allowance?' She had been asking her parents for more money for a couple of months now. Asabea whisked her hand behind her back and crossed her fingers hoping today might be the day.
'Well, I'll talk to your dad about finding ways to earn some extra money these holidays,' said her mom. At this thought, Asabea was optimistic because she knew who her dad was. Though Spencer her dad was a bit difficult, anytime she asked for anything from him through her mom, she always got it. 'Come inside, in a few minutes diner will be ready,' said Delphina her mom and then she vanished into the house.
Asabea sat on the front steps alone. The familiar neighborhood was suddenly different without Nimako. The air was fresh. The wind was whispering. The sky was blue and the atmosphere should have influenced Asabea's mood, but she was not moved. There was no panacea which could heal her wounded soul once and for all. The more she tried to forget Nimako, the more her picture appeared on her mind. Asabea overturned a rock with her foot and inspected several worms as they wiggled to escape the afternoon sunlight. She picked up a few of them and moved them into the flowerbed next to the daisies. 'Do worms have best friends?' She asked the worms.
'Now am l ever going to see Nimako again?' she asked herself. Then a brilliant idea flashed through her head. She went to ask Spencer. 'Dad, how much does a sachet of water cost?' He raised his eyebrows and looked at Asabea with curiosity. 'Do you want to go selling pure water?' 'Well..., yes.' She had finally thought to raise some money on her own so that she could buy an air ticket to go and see her best friend Nimako in Nigeria.
Asabea explained to her parents her idea of going into the sale of water. It was not welcome news to them. She became moody and neither ate nor talked to anyone. Her parents tried to brush off the idea of going into the sale of water since it could jeopardize the family's reputation, but she did not understand them.
For her, the end justified the means and she had to see Nimako by all means. She then asked her parents if they could take her to see the family doctor the following day. It was only God who knew what was on her mind. They agreed to take her to see the doctor.
When they got there, Asabea expressed her feelings about the relationship between her and Nimako and the distance between them to the doctor. She asked the doctor to plead on her behalf so her parents would allow her to get into the business she had set her mind on doing. Finally, they agreed that she could sell the water in front of their house.
Asabea was given the chance to study the market to know how much capital she could start with and to find out whether she could get more market if she sold the water in front of their house.
Lo and behold, Asabea came out with a positive response. She started the sale of the water with Five Ghana Cedis and by the end of the week; she had made a profit of Twenty Ghana Cedis. For her, it was the best experience she could ever have, though occasionally she could not forget her problems. She remembered the good times she shared together with Nimako. At times, it appeared as though she was in control of her problems then all of a sudden, she would break down and weep.
In fact, this continued for a year and she had still not heard anything from Nimako. She then thought of writing a letter to him about her latest venture. At that time, the postal systems were very poor. Could you imagine posting a letter to Nigeria could take you between two and three months to reach its destination? Asabea wrote about the problems she had gone through since their separation and how she was eager to see her whether rain or shine.
She recalled one fateful day after school when Nimako said it would not rain so they should run home. Luck eluded them. The rain caught them in the middle of the road where there was no shelter nearby to protect them from the onslaught of the rainstorm. In fact, they were whipped by the raindrops. To add oil to already burning flames, a wind storm lifted Nimako and dropped her on the ground as if a 'Macho Man' (a well built man) had pushed her.
After a while of this ordeal, luck smiled on them. A taxi cab came to pick them up and took them home. It took about two weeks for them to fully recover from the injuries they sustained from the rainstorm. Asabea told Nimako what she had gone through in her absence. She told her how much of herself she had lost. She had lost her appetite for almost everything she used to enjoy doing. Food had turned into a bitter pill.
"I'm a stripper, so what?" "You dare speak to me like that?" Ryan growled. "You ungrateful, good-for-nothing, wretched stripper." "You have no right to judge me. You're only privileged by luck." "Don't get too comfortable. You never know what's coming for you. Watch your back." Did I just stand up to the most ruthless and feared billionaire in town? Unfortunately, he's my husband. And I might be in deeper trouble than I thought. Ryan, a spoiled and ruthless 30-year-old billionaire, can't access his father's empire unless he's married. Desperate, he contracts Iris -a bold 26-year-old stripper-to pose as his wife. Iris, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, agrees. But as her life finally seems to come together, shadows from the past threaten to tear it apart. Ryan's hidden identity and a dark family secret push their lives into turmoil, with his manipulative mother determined to keep the truth buried. Will Iris be the key to unlocking Ryan's empire, or will their fake marriage lead to something far more real-like love? And as tensions rise, will the empire fall into unexpected hands?
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
A twist of fate bound Allison to Derek in marriage-she, a powerful heiress with countless hidden identities; he, the city's most admired man, now lying silent in a coma. For three years, Allison used her unmatched medical skills to heal him, all while quietly falling in love. But when Derek's long-lost love returned from abroad, he handed Allison divorce papers without a second thought. Resolved to stop chasing shadows, Allison signed the papers and turned her back on love-rising to fame as a dazzling force in business, medicine, and more. Only when she stood high above the world did Derek finally see her worth. He knelt before her, eyes brimming with regret. "Will you take me back?" he whispered.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman-the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!