Novels by Tony's ink

Derrick remained beneath the large apple tree just a moment longer, the weight of what he just heard settling into him in a way he could neither ignore nor fully process.It surely had added a sharp twist to the situation.He reached up again, picking two more apples from the low–hanging branch. The motion grounded him and gave his hands something to do while his mind continued to turn over the same questions.Who was Pa Lorenzo speaking to? And who would not know what was coming for him?Derrick exhaled slowly as he released the branch. Then he turned back toward the house, his steps careful as he crossed the vast garden.The morning still held its gentle calm, the breeze moving in its usual softness through the leaves. By the time he stepped back inside, his expression had settled into its usual composure.He made his way upstairs, noting how the door of his room was slightly ajar. He pushed the door open and stepped in.Elissa and the others were there, gathered around Ivy. Jane s

Ma Lorenzo stood by the counter in the kitchen, her posture composed. Ivy's mother sat across from her. Their voices were low and their conversation sounded really private.Derrick paused, catching the tail end of names before they caught his presence.Moses and Pa Lorenzo. That was all he could hear.But he cleared his throat as if he heard nothing. "Uhhm, Ivy isn't feeling really well," he said in an even tone. "Could you prepare something light for her to eat before the doctor arrives?""The doctor?" Ivy's mother said in genuine surprise. "How...is it that serious?""Well, yes," Derrick replied. "But not really though. She threw up twice before we called for the doctor."The women nodded slowly. "Alright. We'd see her as soon we we're done."Derrick gave a brief nod and turned away. As he walked, his mind went back to what the women were discussing earlier. Why had they stopped immediately when he had walked in?He exhaled softly as he finally brushed the thought aside. A mome

Vivian didn’t move or say a word after Moses made the statement. She just stood and watched as Moses turned and walked away. Daniella followed him without a word.Behind them, the door opened again, and Vivian stepped out. She stopped just short of the hallway's end.She watched as they reached the street and stopped right in front of the SUV waiting at the curb.As they got in, the doors closed and the engine started. The car soon pulled away, and only then did Vivian break.The tears came unrestrained, her body folding slightly under the weight of it as the reality settled in.Moses had dumped her.-------Inside the car, the silence held only for a moment."I love you baby," Daniella said, leaning in. "Love you too," Moses replied.Their lips met and forged a long kiss. Moses' hand came up instinctively, pulling her closer as the car continued down the street."Where to, sir?" the driver's voice cut in. Moses pulled back just enough to answer, his breath slightly uneven."The mos

Daniella reached Moses."Can you stand?" she asked him in a low voice. "I'm sure you can't."Moses exhaled through the dull ache in his ribs and pushed himself up with her help. His weight leaned greatly into her for a brief moment before he steadied."I guess I'll survive," he muttered as he winced in pain.Daniella looked around at the staring eyes. "Yeah, barely."Without wasting time on anything else, she placed one of his arm over her shoulder and guided him through the thinning crowd. "Screw you!!" One of the men on the ground due to the fight with Daniella yelled.But she ignored everything as she led Moses out of the bar. At the curb, she raised a hand and a taxi slowed, pulling back without hesitation. She opened the back door first and helped him inside before sliding in beside him."Upside street," Moses told the driver, and the car pulled away.He leaned down carefully and rested his head against the seat.Daniella glanced at him just once. "You're really lucky."He let

The bar was alive long before Moses decided to leave it.Not just busy—Alive.Laughter spilled over itself in waves, glasses clinked without rhythm, and voices rose and fell like a restless tide that refused to settle. The air was thick with heat, alcohol, and the kind of careless energy that only came when people had decided—consciously or not—not to think too deeply about anything.And at the center of it—Moses.He stood near the counter, one hand resting lazily against the polished wood, the other lifting his glass just slightly—not to drink, but to acknowledge.To accept.Because they were watching him.All of them.Not just glancing—watching.The bartender had leaned in moments ago, eyebrows raised in quiet confirmation.Moses had only nodded once.That was all it took.And now—The room knew.“Drinks on him!”The announcement had cut clean through the noise, sharp and immediate.For half a second—silence.Then—An eruption.Cheers broke out from every corner of the bar. Laught

The silence deepened.For a long moment, no one moved. No one spoke. The air itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting—expecting—Pa Lorenzo to respond, to reclaim the authority that had defined him for decades.But he didn’t.Instead—A faint shift.So subtle at first it almost went unnoticed.Pa Lorenzo’s fingers, still interlaced on the table, loosened.One by one.Slowly.Deliberately.His shoulders rose with a quiet breath, heavier than any he had taken that night. Then, without a word, he pushed his chair back.The sound—soft wood against polished floor—cut through the silence far louder than it should have.Every head turned sharply.Eyes followed him.Watched.Measured.But Pa Lorenzo did not look at any of them.Not Ivy.Not Derrick.Not even Ma Lorenzo.He rose to his feet with the same quiet control he had always carried—but something about it felt… different.Not weaker.Not uncertain.Just… distant.As though part of him was no longer in the room.His expression remained u