Novel-novel oleh Ciara

ALESSIA I was screaming on the inside, willing Axel to just let me go. The car ride was tense and thick with silence, but I could still feel his gaze on me.It was unsettling. Not because it carried the usual frustration or barely contained anger he always directed at me but because it didn’t.His stare was different. It felt warm, almost comforting and I hated that it worked. That it soothed me in a way I hadn’t expected.His glances calmed my nerves but no amount of silent reassurance could erase what had happened earlier.I could not forget the laughter, the humiliation, and the cruel words that clung to me like a second skin. The memory was still fresh in my mind and it made my chest tighten.I swear I could still feel the cold floor beneath me and Sofia’s taunting words.I never wanted to go through that again.The car slowed before coming to a full stop in front of a massive black gate. My breath hitched as a guard moved to pull it open, revealing a mansion that looked like som

AlessiaSofia walked away and left me splat on the cold tiled floor. My palms stung from the impact, but I barely felt it over the humiliation sinking its claws into me. I couldn’t bring myself to look up, I already knew what I’d see. There would be hundreds of eyes laid on me, watching with amusement and cold judgment. It felt like I was frozen in place as my heart started beating erratically in my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore, the air felt thick and suffocating. Whispers slithered through the crowd, each word cutting deeper than the last.“Poor girl.”“She must be dying of embarrassment.”“Why would she wear heels she clearly can’t walk in?”“If that were me, I’d rather disappear.”“Best entertainment of the night.”I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.I was dying of shame and embarrassment. How could I have been so stupid? I wished for the floor to open and swallow me whole. I should have seen this coming. I should have expected Sofia to pull somethi

Alessia I picked up a glass of cocktail from a waiter's tray and my eyes sparkled as the rich taste enveloped my senses. It left a refreshing feeling in its wake and I regretted not grabbing it from the beginning. It would have made all those boring talks more enjoyable for me.It didn’t matter at this point but this was the highlight of my night. I walked to a less crowded spot in the hall and leaned against the pillar as I took slow sips of my drink.My eyes flickered around the hall and I found myself enjoying the music as I gently swayed with my drink in hand. It felt liberating to be away from all those suffocating people and most especially Axel. “Are you celebrating because you think you’ve won?” My movements seized. I turned slowly, my gaze landing on Sofia, her face was twisted into a nasty scowl and I grimaced as she stalked forward. She glared at me like I had just ripped her favorite toy out of her hands, her eyes burning with pure venom.Seriously?I exhaled, pinchi

Alessia This was a drag.I knew I shouldn’t have come.Soft instrumental music played in the background, blending with the low murmur of conversation and the occasional clink of champagne glasses. Waiters in crisp black suits moved effortlessly between guests, offering trays of finely crafted cocktails, champagne, and sparkling wine. Everything was elegant and yet I found it completely unappealing.This wasn’t my kind of gathering, and my patience was wearing thin. Axel kept dragging me from one conversation to another, introducing me to clients, sealing deals over laughter and small talk that meant nothing. I stood there, nodding along, forcing a polite smile that barely masked my boredom.My eyes wandered over the crowd. With a single look one could tell they were people that held great power and influence, all dressed to impress. Sharp suits, glittering gowns and shimmering jewelry accompanied by empty laughter was flying around the hall as they repeated the same conversations abo

AxelWhat was happening? Why does this seem like a never-ending circle? It looked like the more I tried to bury my desires the more they grew and It was getting on my nerves. I was always in control, always the one calling the shots and making sure everything was in check. So why was it that the moment she stepped into the room, all of that slipped through my fingers like smoke?It scared me. She had a hold over me and I feared the outcome.I wasn’t used to feeling like a third wheel in my own body, my reactions were no longer mine to control and that was exactly what was happening at this exact moment. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. It felt like I was in a daze and my entire senses had been bewitched by her as her sweet scent filled the car, it stirred something deep within me. My pulse started to quicken and my thoughts were all over the place as I took in her elegant appearance. Her beautiful black gown looked like a second skin as it hugged her body perfectly and my eyes dar

Alessia “You are so mean! Why won’t you just let me enjoy my junk food in peace?” I whined, glaring at Isabel as she dropped a plate of salad and a glass of water in front of me like some kind of prison warden.She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she gave me that unimpressed, deadpan look that made me feel like an actual child.“What am I, a rabbit? Why are you treating me like this? I swear, I should sue you for feeding me nothing but grass.” I pouted dramatically, hoping she’d take pity on me, but she just shook her head in amusement and bit into her apple.“Stop whining like a baby and eat,” she said, completely unaffected by my suffering. “You need all the nutrients you can get, and as long as I’m around, I’ll make sure you eat healthy.”That last part made my heart do a little flip. She cared so much about my well-being. Annoyingly so, but still.I picked at the salad with my fork and narrowed my eyes at her. “And what about you? Don’t you need to eat healthy too? It’s not fair tha

Chapter 117Adrianna's POVOur lips get intertwined in an intense kiss. I felt his tongue play with mine. For some reason, now that he proposed to me, the kiss felt more good.Our past kids were all okay, but having a ring around my shoulder made it better.Frederick's arms wrapped tightly around me while he pulled me closer to deepen the kiss.I didn't hesitate to kiss him back with the same intensity he was using on me.We finally broke apart. Frederick was smiling at me while staring. I smiled back at him, feeling nothing but extreme love for him. There was nothing else I could do other than to stare at him.I had been smiling ever since the ring entered my eyes. At that moment, I felt like the luckiest person in the world.Everything was going well for me. I had a family of my own.I was going to marry Frederick. “I'm really happy you said yes, Adrianna. Thank you for making me the happiest alpha in the world.It got to a point where I thought you would say no, but I kept pushing

Chapter 116Adrianna's POV“I didn't think I would see her again. It has been a long time.” He said.“You two seemed pretty cozy over there,” I said, trying to sound casual.Frederick sighed, starting up the engine. “Adrianna, come on.” He said.“Let's just go home,” I told him.I knew that he noticed I wasn't happy about what I saw but he tried to act casual.“Are you guys okay back there?” He asked the kids.“Yeah!” They chorused.“What's wrong with mom?” I heard Jackson ask Frederick.“I have no idea.” He said.“What's wrong, mom?” Hayley asked me.“Nothing, dear. I'm just tired.” I said to her.I knew I said we should go but he should have said something. Instead, he just focused on the road with a neutral expression.He should have known that I would be jealous. Wasn't it obvious? Didn't I make it obvious enough?I decided to remain quiet too. I folded my arms, too, and decided to focus on the road as well.We pulled into the driveway. The kids got out and made their way inside.

Chapter 115Adrianna's POVI watched the ladybird hug Frederick as she owned him. They seemed to know each other from way back.I couldn't help but feel jealous seeing them together. I tried to brush it off, telling myself that being jealous was ridiculous, but it didn't help.I looked away, trying to focus on the kids but my eyes kept going back to them.Her hands were on his waist for too long. She was hugging him tight. I might have been exaggerating, but I felt the hug was too clingy and intimate.Who was this woman? And why was Frederick doing nothing about her? All these questions swirled through my head.I had no idea if Frederick had a friend or not. He never talked about it. All I knew was that he went to work and dealt with his pack problems.I didn't know what was going on there. Frederick reciprocated the hug without any argument. His hands were around her, holding her close with a smile.I watched them, feeling my jealousy increase. I couldn't believe my eyes. Why was Fr

Chapter 114Adrianna's POVWe had arrived back at home. My encounter with my father wasn't what I expected.My father apologized for what he had done to me, and so did my family. I never imagined seeing that day.It didn't take me long to eventually forgive them. No matter what, I still loved them.“Mom! Dad! They're back!” I heard the kids shout as we walked in.Frederick scooped them into a hug. “We're home.”Frederick said, with a smile on his face.“We missed you guys,” they chorused.“We missed you too, baby,” I said to them. no idea what was the reason for going there.“Yeah, we saw her,” Frederick responded when I didn't respond to them.He was always one step ahead of me. He knew when to act when he thought was right. The kids filled us in on how their day went. How they played games and watched movies all day. They filled us up with the movies they watched. Before I left, I prepared lunch for them. All they needed to do was to heat it.The room was filled with chatter and

Chapter 113Adrianna's POVI almost burst into laughter at the sight of my father asking for forgiveness. “You're asking for forgiveness? You? After everything you've done, you're asking me to forgive you?You aren't even capable of apologizing to someone, let alone me. All these are just a trick. A trick to try and manipulate me again, but this time it isn't going to work.”I took another step closer to him.” You do not get to apologize now, not after all these years. You don't get to act like you care about me all of a sudden or you see me as a person.You had decades to make everything right, but you did nothing. All you did was like and manipulate me, Dad.” I said, furiously.“I can't even call you that because you aren't even my real dad.You are not sorry; you're just sorry you were caught. You are only sorry because I found out the truth.If I didn't come here to say all these, you wouldn't think about apologizing to me.” I walked back to my mom. “Can you at least tell me why

Chapter 112Adrianna's POVFrederick and I drove back to my house. He insisted on coming with me.Frederick's proposal had caught me off guard, and I was still trying to process everything.I cared about him deeply, but marriage at a time like this. I wasn't sure I was ready yet.When we got there, I was hit with the memory of me and my father arguing the other day.“Hey, are you okay?” Frederick asked after we got out of the car.I nodded. “yeah, I'm just…it's a lot to take in.”He nodded understandingly. “If you don't want to do this, we can get in the car right now and I'll drive you back home.” He said, looking directly into my eyes.But I shook my head, “No, I need to face this. I need to do this.”I told him.He held my eyes and said to me. “I'm gonna be near you the whole time. Whatever you need, I'll be there.” I took a deep breath and walked into the house. I walked into the living room, and surprisingly everyone was already there.My mom, dad, and Steven were all there.“Ad