Chapter: Chapter 76David cupped her face and said, “There is nothing that can make me queasy when it comes from you.”“Your body is where my child grows, and your blood is her blood also.”“Don’t ever think that it is something to be embarrassed about.”Anna smiled weakly at the man before her. ‘How could she not love this man?’David led her to the shower while helping her out of her clothes.He reached out to take the soap, but she said, “Please let me do it on my own, my breast is so sore, and it hurts too much.”“Okay, but let me do your back.” he insisted as he watched her.“We can visit the baby after breakfast.” he said.At this point, Anna was excited to see Selene. She swiftly finished her bath and changed into a wrap-around pink floral dress.They ate their breakfast and went to the hospital after.They were looking at their child through the incubator, she was so beautiful yet so fragile. 'I can't wait to hold her in my arms,' Anna thought. She felt so mesmerized by her. David wrapped his arm
Last Updated: 2024-05-09
Chapter: Chapter 75Anna woke up in the hospital the next day. Last night, she had a c-section because of the preterm labor. David was sitting near her. “Is the baby, okay?” She asked weakly. “The baby is in intensive care,” David said calmly. “Oh my God, is she going to be, okay?” concern was evident on her face. “All her vital signs are okay; however, she is in the incubator.” David cupped her face gently. “No need to worry, Anna, her pediatric doctor is a known specialist.” David reached for Anna and hugged her. At this very moment, she wanted to feel his warmth because she couldn't control her anxiety. Then the Doctor came to visit. “Good morning, Mrs. Miller.” She was an older woman with kind eyes. “I’m Doctor Avery Samuel, nice to meet you,” she said. “Nice to meet you too Doctor,” Anna replied. “Can I see my baby?” “Yes, but We had to wait for your OB-GYN, Doctor Ethan's recommendation.” “When it’s safe to move you, then you can visit your baby, but you have to understand that you cannot
Last Updated: 2024-05-08
Chapter: Chapter 74Anna dialed a memorized number on her phone.A sleepy voice answered her call, and Anna felt a surge of relief. “Sara? How about lunch?”“I didn't get to bed until three, you impossible person. Must it be today?”“We could make it a late lunch,” Anna persisted and heard Sara's laughing approval.“Name the time and place, and I'll meet you there.”“One-thirty. At the Grove,” she returned without hesitation.They met within minutes of the appointed time and managed, by good fortune to be shown to atable overlooking the fountain. After the serious business of ordering was completed, they settleddown to exchanging news, something which lasted through the starter, and well into the maincourse.“You're positively blooming,” Sara complimented quietly.“Your hair, your skin. everything about you. I couldn't be more pleased everything is working out.”Anna managed a bright smile that didn't fool her friend in the slightest.“Not quite, huh? What's the problem?”“I didn't ask you to meet me
Last Updated: 2024-05-04
Chapter: Chapter 73She rose to her feet and gathered the cutlery and glasses, then carried them through to thekitchen.David followed, and she heard him locking the outer doors and setting the security alarm.It was a simple task to load the dishwasher, and she had just finished when he entered the room.He looked over all the powerful masculine: dark trousers, light tan skin, dark hair, in stark contrast to the white shirt. Tall, he almost seemed overpowering, and, while she craved his touch, there was a part of her that cried out against any sexual defeat.She watched as he dispatched food down the waste disposal unit, then dropped emptycontainers into the pedal bin before washing and drying his hands. In silence, he turned andcaught hold of her hand, leading her through to the lounge, and then he selected a slow song.Soft music emanated from the speakers and Anna looked at him speechlessly as he drew her intohis arms.Crazy, she thought, as he pulled her close against him and began to drift slow
Last Updated: 2024-04-10
Chapter: Chapter 72“There's an excellent piece you really must see. Expensive, but worthy of investment.” He riffledthrough the catalog pages and brought the item to David's notice, then made his excuses assomeone else demanded his attention.“I happen to like Zhang Hongtu,” Anna protested as David's amused gaze rested on her expressive features.“So do I,” he assured her, and, placing an arm around her waist, he directed her towards a display.“Shall we begin viewing?”Some paintings verged on the bizarre, others resembled caricatures of design over brilliant slashes of color. One, in particular, looked as if a very young child had indulged in a wild battle with numerous pots of multicolored paint.“What do you think?”Anna turned towards David and tried to present a considered viewpoint. After severalseconds she voiced with restraint, “I'd prefer not to answer on the grounds that anything I saycould be overheard, taken into account, and held against me.”“A remarkable nonconformist piece,” David d
Last Updated: 2024-04-10
Chapter: Chapter 71“Anna. How are you, darling? Sorry to keep you waiting.”She closed the magazine and rose to her feet with a ready smile. “Michael.”“Your hand? It is still giving you pain?' He drew her towards the far end of the salon and seated her at a basin.“It aches a little.”Michael's personal attention was rare, and Anna, by virtue of being David's wife, appeared tobe one of the favoured few.She wrinkled her nose as he sluiced water over her hair and applied shampoo, rinsed and repeated the process with conditioner, then towelled it dry before leading her to a mirrored cubicle.“Are you able to drive again?”‘The specialist says I can. David would prefer Jacob to continue in the role of chauffeur. Although he has compromised and bought me another car.'“He is being protective, hmm?”“You could say that,” she agreed with suitable dryness.Michael picked up his scissors and comb and went to work. “Don't knock it, darling,” he cautioned wryly.“Men are not usually protective unless they care.
Last Updated: 2024-04-08
Chapter: Chapter 53Estel, who was eight months pregnant, sat at her desk, engrossed in editing manuscripts. Michael enters the room, a mix of excitement and hesitation evident on his face. “Hey, love.” Michael was grinning widely “Hi there. What brings you by?” Estel Looks up, smiling at the sight of Michael. “I have something to tell you.” Michael takes a seat opposite Estel, fidgeting nervously. “Is everything alright?” Estel looks concerned. “Oh, everything's fine, more than fine actually. Next month, I'll be heading to Canada to promote my books.” Michael clasped his hands. Estel's expression changes, a flicker of concern crossing her face. “Canada? But Doctor Jill advised against traveling, especially now.” Estel’s brows furrowed. “I know, I know, but this is a big opportunity. Nancy Wilson, the literary agent, is organizing everything, and she wants me there for a series of events.” Michael explained. “And who else is going
Last Updated: 2024-01-12
Chapter: Chapter 52The expression on Michael's face conveyed a mix of chagrined amusement and annoyance at her choice to bring up his prior actions that he deeply regretted, as well as her timing in doing so. But suddenly, his mouth twisted up in a sneaky smile, and his eyes gleamed with the same naughty mirth dancing in Estel's. After a split second, he had her held hopelessly beneath him, and he glared menacingly down at her during the entire ordeal. He muttered in a frightening tone, "You're right, woman," as she resisted and laughed while being held down by him. He held her wrists while he lifted himself slightly to cast a leering, appraising view over her body. He said, "Taking you to court might be a little drastic, but I am entitled to some revenge for the torture you've put me through these past months, and I think I know just how to go about it." He said this as he raked a leering, appraising eye over her body. He asked the question in a tone that suggested he was a prosecuting attorney with s
Last Updated: 2024-01-11
Chapter: Chapter 51Afterward, Michael felt more at ease and continued with his explanation. "When I saw you in Hendrick's office that day, I knew I couldn't leave things as they were. I'd been thinking about you for months, wanting you, and hating myself for what I'd done to you and for what I'd ruined. I had already chosen to write The Essence of a Woman. When you stepped in, I realized I had the ideal opportunity for a second chance. It was your sort of book; it had the potential to gain your respect, and while you were working on it, I believed I could win you over. Estel's mouth scrunched up in response to his statements about earning her respect. Still, Michael did not allow her an opportunity to respond to his statement. "Only I kept repeating myself with you," he said with regret, "making the same mistakes repeatedly." "I couldn't keep my hands off you, and I couldn't keep from trying to break through that shell of yours and get at the woman I sensed was there. As a result, I ended up making you
Last Updated: 2024-01-11
Chapter: Chapter 50Michael faced her, staring down with a sardonic and caustic attitude that made it clear that he was now a man... Estel sees him as a man in every sense of the word. After that, a serious look came over his face, and he again turned his head aside. He stated it with a strain in his voice, "I'm canceling our agreement, Estel," and the tone of his voice was harsh. Estel found herself suddenly gasping for air, and she began to shake where she was standing until she noticed a log that had just fallen nearby. She quickly moved to sit down on the log to prevent herself from falling. She questioned him, "What exactly do you mean, Michael?" with a lack of expression that belied the riot of sensations that was going on inside of her. "What exactly do you mean?" He stepped closer to her but refused to look into her eyes, even as he did so. "You're free to go," he said gloomily. "You don't have to give me a child... and you don't have to stay married to me." Estel momentarily suppressed her exp
Last Updated: 2024-01-10
Chapter: Chapter 49After a little pause in which they were both silent and Estel made no effort to break it, Mrs. Jensen proceeded, her tone more forceful and her stance more upright. "Fortunately, in those days, it wasn't easy to find someone willing to break the law that way, and I ended up going to a midwife who was less than effective." She cracked a wry grin without amusement. "When I stepped into that room and saw the primitive, unsanitary conditions..." She simply chuckled. "Well, I turned right around and walked out again. And I've never regretted doing so." After that, she shifted her attention to Estel while sitting in her chair with a thoughtful expression. "I tried to be a good mother to Michael, and I did love him, but he was always such an exuberant, affectionate boy, and I've never let my feelings show. Perhaps he interpreted my reserve as indicating that I didn't love him. But it wasn't and isn't true. The trouble is, I don't know how to let him know that since I find it as difficult now
Last Updated: 2024-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 48By the time they boarded the plane to go to Aspen to visit Michael's parents, Estel was at her wit's end. She prayed to God for a miracle so that Michael would recognize her deep love for him. It would be a miracle in their marriage if only he could bring himself to love her as much as she loved him. Estel hoped that Michael's parents would convince him to love her. When Estel first saw the tall, stately, and beautiful woman who was Michael's mother and his father's equally tall but less awesome figure, she felt a surge of animosity toward the couple. She wondered if they were the key to Michael's inability to respond to the love she was offering him. Estel's first impression of Michael's mother and father caused her to feel this way. Estel had thought that Michael had made it past his childhood difficulties. Still, the people in his life may have permanently damaged him and given him an icy hole in his heart—a spot that he desired love to so severely fill. However, as Mrs. Jensen c
Last Updated: 2024-01-08
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