Chapter: Chapter 27It was late, and the house had quieted down for the night. Emma stood in the kitchen, tidying up after dinner. The faint hum of the dishwasher filled the silence, but her thoughts were louder. Matt’s message had lingered in her mind all day, making her stomach churn with unease.Just as she reached to turn off the kitchen lights, she heard footsteps. Turning around, she saw Alex standing in the doorway. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie slightly loosened. He looked tired, but there was something more—a weight in his gaze that she couldn’t quite place.“I didn’t think anyone was still awake,” Emma said, her voice soft.Alex walked in, his hands sliding into his pockets. “I couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d grab some water,” he replied, though the way his eyes lingered on her made it clear she was the reason he’d come downstairs.Emma hesitated. She had been avoiding him since the awkward tension Matt had stirred. But now, with Alex standing so close, his presence felt magnetic.“You
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 26The phone buzzed faintly in his hand, but Alex didn’t dare look at it. His pulse thundered in his ears as he tossed the device onto his desk like it might burn him. Suddenly, the room seemed too quiet, the stillness amplifying the weight of what he had just done.What if she doesn’t reply?The thought lingered, bitter and sharp. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room like a caged animal. For someone who made billion-dollar decisions daily, this was unnervingly paralyzing. Business was predictable; people, especially someone like Emma, were not.Alex’s mind spiraled with possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last. Maybe she’d laugh it off. Or worse, maybe she’d ignore it altogether, leaving his carefully constructed message to fester in the void of her inbox.But what if she replied? What if she was honest, and the honesty wasn’t what he wanted to hear?He sat back down heavily, his elbows braced on the desk as he leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. The l
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 25Alex sat in his spacious office, the skyline of Asokoro stretched out before him. It was late into the evening, the city lights casting a soft glow on his face as he stared at the stacks of paperwork in front of him. The glow from his computer screen was the only light, yet it didn’t seem to matter; he wasn’t really seeing the documents or emails in front of him. His mind kept drifting back to Emma, to the quiet, fleeting moments they had shared.The air in the room felt thick, suffocating, like the weight of his own emotions had transformed the space into something unrecognizable. The files in front of him were no different from the thoughts he kept trying to suppress. Everything about his day—from handling business matters to dealing with the children—had been a distraction, a poor attempt at keeping his mind occupied.But the more he tried to focus on his work, the more his thoughts kept circling back to Emma.It had started the moment Matt had appeared, asking Emma to prepare for
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 24The house felt unnervingly quiet. The other kids were downstairs, but Julia found herself holed up in her room, nursing a discomfort she wasn’t quite ready to face. She tossed and turned on her bed, irritated by the odd feeling gnawing at her. She wasn’t sick—she knew what was happening. She just wasn’t ready to deal with it.Her mind kept wandering back to Emma. That girl. Julia had tried to avoid her at all costs, but somehow, she kept slipping in, threading her way into their lives, stealing moments with Abby and Ethan. It was infuriating. Julia liked being in control, and right now, it felt like Emma was taking over, shifting the balance in a way that made her anxious.But today, there was something else. A heaviness in her stomach that wouldn’t go away, making her more irritable than usual. She tossed another pillow against the wall and pulled the blanket over her head, wishing the whole world would just leave her alone.Just then, a knock on her door startled her, followed by a
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 23Later that afternoon, Emma was tending to the garden outside. The sun was warm on her skin, the rhythmic sound of the shears in her hand keeping her thoughts from drifting back to her conversation with Alex.“Hey, stranger.”Emma turned to see Matt leaning against the fence, his usual confident grin in place. He was dressed casually, his jeans slightly dusty as though he’d just come from the ranch.“Matt,” she said, surprised but smiling. “What brings you here?”He shrugged. “Saw your car parked out front and thought I’d drop by. Hope that’s okay.”“Of course,” she said, setting down her shears. “I was just finishing up.”Matt’s eyes softened as he studied her. “You know, I’ve been thinking about our last date. I had a great time.”Emma’s heart skipped a beat. She knew where this was heading, and while Matt was charming and kind, her feelings felt more complicated than ever now.“I’m glad you did,” she said carefully, brushing a stray leaf from her sleeve.“And I was hoping we could d
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 22Later that night, the house was quiet, the kids finally tucked into bed after a long evening of stories and laughter. Emma sat on the porch swing, a blanket draped over her lap and a mug of tea in her hands. She stared out at the darkened yard, her mind spinning with thoughts she couldn’t quite untangle.The sound of the door opening behind her startled her, but she didn’t turn around. She knew it was Alex.“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, his voice soft.Emma shook her head, taking a sip of her tea. “Too much on my mind, I guess.”Alex stepped out onto the porch, his hands in his pockets. He stood there for a moment, as if debating whether to join her. Finally, he sat down on the swing, leaving a careful distance between them.They sat in silence for a while, the quiet of the night settling around them.“About earlier,” Alex began, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to make things complicated.”Emma glanced at him, her expression guarded. “You didn’t. Not really.”Alex let out a soft laugh, th
Last Updated: 2024-12-18
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