Novels by Jihan

Kylian's POVShe was back a few minutes later with a fresh bottle. She handed it to me before sitting next to me, her head leaning against my shoulder as I fed our daughter.“You can go back to bed,” I assured her.“It’s okay, I like sitting with you. I haven’t gotten to see you much these past few days,” she said.I nodded. “I’m sorry. I tried to get out of that meeting yesterday, but it required my attention. Kieran wasn’t familiar with the company and I didn’t want to leave him high and dry.”“Don’t be sorry. I’m being needy.”“No, you’re not.”“How is Kieran?” she asked.I smiled in the darkness. “Good. Something is up with him, but I’m not sure what. I think it has to do with a woman. He doesn’t want to take over my job—I’ve offered,” I joked.“I’m glad you two are getting along. I really do like all your brothers,” she said.I smirked. “That’s because you don’t really know them. Trust me, if you did, you wouldn’t be quite as generous with your summation of their characters.”“St

Kylian's POVI heard the soft cries and blinked several times, orientating myself to the room. I listened a little longer to see if she would fall back to sleep on her own and realized it wasn’t going to happen. I stretched my arms before swinging my legs over the side of the bed to get up. I felt Yvonne stir and knew she was waking up as well.“Shh, go back to sleep. I’ve got her,” I told her, putting my hand on her shoulder.I had been trying to do my part, getting up for at least one of the middle-of-the-night feedings. Fortunately, Jaime was a content little girl and was down to only needing to wake once in the night for a bottle. She was a healthy, strong girl and required a lot of food. The first few weeks home from the hospital had been grueling. We were both up for a good two weeks straight before we finally managed to develop a routine that allowed everyone to get some sleep.“Thank you,” Yvonne mumbled.She didn’t need to thank me for doing something I was supposed to be doi

Yvonne's POVThe next thirty minutes flew by. I barely had a chance to breathe before I was holding my baby girl in my arms.“I think you must have set a new record for first time moms,” the doctor said with a grin.It was at that moment my doctor came into the room. “I missed it?” he asked with surprise.The other doctor gave him the rundown while I marveled at my baby girl.“Would you like to hold your daughter?” I asked Kylian, handing her to him.He took her, held her tiny head in his big hand, and stared at her, tears in his eyes before the nurse swooped in and took her to be weighed and cleaned up.“We have a baby,” he said with complete amazement.I smiled and nodded. “Looks that way. I know you wanted a boy,” I said, feeling a little like I let him down.He looked at me, his eyes wide, shaking his head. “No way! I wanted a baby. You girls are exactly what I want. I couldn’t imagine anything else. She’s perfect. She’s everything I could ever want. The two of you are my entire r

Yvonne's POVI slowly awoke, trying to figure out what it was that had stirred me out of a deep sleep. I didn’t have to pee, which was what usually woke me up.I lay awake a few minutes before I decided it must have been nothing and closed my eyes, hoping to sleep a few more hours.“Ow,” I muttered when a sharp pain ripped across my lower back.That was when I knew. I sat up, rubbing my lower back. I propped my pillows against the headboard and lay against them, staring at the clock that silently announced it was three o’clock in the morning. I waited, my eyes sliding closed until another sharp pain cut across my back, wrapping around to envelope my stomach in a vise. My eyes went to the clock. It had been ten minutes. I flipped on the bedside lamp.“Kylian,” I whispered, gently touching his bare shoulder.“Hmm.” He moaned, still half asleep.“Kylian,” I whispered again.He rolled to his back, blinking as he looked up at me. “What is it? Hungry?” he asked.I smiled and shook my head.

Kylian's POVWe finished our dinner before Desmond excused himself to go home to his own family. Cynthia left a few minutes after, leaving Yvonne and me alone in our home. It was ours. We were sharing a home and it felt great. I had been nervous for nothing.“Are you okay with all this?” She pointed to the boxes littering the living room and lining the hallway as we moved through our home.I looked at the boxes labeled with her name and smiled. “I am very okay with this. I can’t wait to start this life with you.”She laughed. “Look around. It’s started.” I smiled. “I guess it has.”“I need to call the stores first thing tomorrow morning and have all my deliveries changed to come here,” she mused aloud.“All your deliveries?” I asked.She grinned. “I’ve been doing some shopping for the nursery. I didn’t want it all sitting in my apartment for months, so I had the deliveries scheduled for next month. I figured that would give me plenty of time to get the nursery in order.”“You’ve bough

Kylian's POVIn keeping with the way Yvonne and I did everything, we moved her into my place in a matter of two days. We liked to move fast. I couldn’t bear to be apart from her and wasn’t about to let her get away. My penthouse was plenty big enough for all of us. The moving truck, along with a fleet of movers, had just brought in the last box. We were sticking with my furniture for now with plans to redo the place with both of our tastes reflected. That would come later.I could hear my beautiful wife and her friend chatting in the room we were making into the nursery. For too long, the room had sat empty. It had been outfitted to be a guest room with a large bed and dresser, but no one had ever slept in the bed. I forgot the room was even there most of the time. The maid dusted in there and put fresh linens on the bed once a week, but I never bothered going into it.Now, it would be my child’s nursery. Yvonne had already informed me we were not finding out the sex of the baby until

Zephyra's POVLirael continues, unperturbed. "Your company has been facing difficulties for a while now—mismanagement, apparently. Your shares are at the lowest price they've been for a decade. I saw you come in, and I decided now was the right time to make the call. So no, you don't have some investments for me. You are an investment. And unfortunately for you, as of," Lirael checks his watch, "ten minutes ago, you're no longer CEO of Apex Industries. My brothers and I will appoint one of our own people to take over first thing tomorrow."My father stares at Lirael, shock and disbelief warring on his features. "Y-You can't be serious. That's... That's preposterous."Lirael turns his back on him, dismissing the conversation with a curt statement. "Are we all done, ladies?" Mom stands up gracefully, and I follow suit, mirroring her movement. "Yes, thank you, Lirael," she says with genuine appreciation. "The meal was absolutely delicious."Lirael responds with a smile that lights up hi

Zephyra's POVMom reaches over the table and squeezes my hand, a gentle smile playing on her lips. I could get used to this, I think to myself, the warmth of her touch a comforting reassurance in the midst of the elegant ambiance surrounding us.I take a moment to look around the restaurant where we're dining tonight. It's opulent, even by Lirael's high standards. While he and I frequent such upscale establishments often, we've also developed a penchant for cooking together at home. Surprisingly, Lirael has proven to be quite the adept home chef. Our late-night grilled cheese sandwiches remain a favorite indulgence.Yet, tonight marks a special occasion—it's Mom's birthday. Lirael's thoughtful gesture of sending his private jet to whisk her away to New York for the weekend speaks volumes about his generosity. The fact that we're hosting her in one of Lirael's luxurious hotel suites, with all expenses covered, adds an extra layer of appreciation for the privacy and comfort we can offer

Lirael's POVHer hand reaches out, coming to rest on my chest, right over my wildly beating heart. The warmth of her touch seeps through me, comforting and electrifying all at once. "And I really, really like what I see," she confesses, her eyes locking with mine in a moment of shared vulnerability.Relief floods through me, a weight lifting off my shoulders as her words sink in. Without hesitation, I take a step closer to her, my hand instinctively finding its way into her soft hair, fingers curling around the back of her neck as I pull her gently toward me. The closeness between us feels natural, inevitable, as if we've been dancing around this moment for far too long."I like what I see too," I murmur, my voice low and intimate, filled with unspoken promises and desires."Is that so?" Her voice is a breathless whisper, anticipation hanging in the air between us.I nod, a smile playing on my lips. "Yes, it is. In fact, I don't just like what I see," I confess, my gaze never leaving

Lirael's POV "Of course," I reply without hesitation, a hint of hurt tugging at my words. Didn't she believe me when I assured her that I wasn't going anywhere? "And you're helping Mom plant beets?" Zephyra inquires, her gaze flickering to the spade in my hand. I glance down at my fingers wrapped around the tool. "It would seem so," I confirm with a faint smile. Zephyra descends the steps towards us, and the sight of her approaching leaves me momentarily breathless. The way she moves, the way the sunlight catches her hair, it's all so mesmerizing. "Zephyra, do you mind finishing this off while I get dinner started?" Beth interjects, her tone carrying a hint of mischief as she exchanges a knowing look with me. My lips quirk up in response to Beth's subtle gesture, understanding the unspoken message. Zephyra stands gracefully, brushing the dirt off her knees, and takes the trowel from Beth, settling down next to me.The air is filled with the sweet scent of sunshine and wildflowers

Lirael's POVI pull up outside Zephyra's mom's house and shift the car into park. The decision to rent a vehicle instead of relying on a driver feels like a small step toward independence, a gesture of my commitment to staying here for the foreseeable future. The sunset paints the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting warm beams of light through the car window as I sit and contemplate my next moves.Recalibration is necessary. The impulse to buy things for Zephyra's mom, while well-intentioned, feels like a misstep now. She doesn't need my money; she needs genuine connection and support. It strikes me that perhaps my efforts to provide material comfort were more about easing my own guilt than truly helping. Zephyra, given time and opportunity, will undoubtedly be able to provide for her mom in ways I can't.Yet, despite this realization, I haven't formulated another plan. Every idea I entertain seems to circle back to money, a reminder of the limitations of my solutions. For now, al

Zephyra's POVHis eyes darken slightly, a mix of frustration and longing evident in his gaze. "Because it's the only thing I can offer you—the only thing I can give you that you need," he admits, his voice tinged with desperation.I meet his gaze, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me as I shake my head slowly. "No, Lirael. It's not. I don't need your money or what it can buy me. A relationship isn't supposed to be transactional like that. It's about being with someone because you can't imagine not being with them. It's about sharing your heart and soul with someone, knowing they see you for who you really are, that they understand you in a way no one else can."His jaw tightens as he absorbs my words, a silent acknowledgment of the truth in them. "Okay," he finally responds, his tone subdued yet accepting.I'm taken aback by his unexpected acquiescence. "Okay?" I repeat, searching his eyes for any hint of defiance or argument.He nods, taking a step closer and gently brushing a stra