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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Last Updated:
2025-04-24 07:24:55
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ESSENCE I sat in the room for a while, hugging one of the throw pillows and trying to talk myself into forgetting about what happened the night before. But the more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I felt. Eventually, I told myself that if I didn’t go out soon, Lucian would come looking for me. I got up and padded out to the dining room, steeling myself for whatever came next. Lucian looked up the moment I stepped in. His eyes landed on my face, and his expression immediately shifted into something soft and concerned. "Are you okay?" I nodded, attempting a half-hearted smile. "I'm fine." He motioned to the untouched food. "Come, finish your breakfast." I sat down, but I barely touched the spoon. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm already full." Lucian watched me quietly for a beat before leaning in. "What’s wrong?" I sighed, realizing I couldn’t keep dodging him. Not with the level of attention he was giving to me. “Can we talk in private?” He led me into one of the sitting
Last Updated : 2025-04-25A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
ESSENCE I stood there like a statue, struggling to digest Lucian's last words. Telling the world I was his wife? Without a second thought? Seriously? Was he even aware of what that would cause? The internet would lose its mind. The fashion blogs would probably hold an emergency meeting. All the sexy models of the world would send condolence messages to each other. And yet, he didn’t seem to mind. Then again, Lucian Knight had been surprising me since the very first day I met him. He didn’t behave like the cold, untouchable, notorious player everyone painted him to be. No, he was something else entirely.... warmer, scarier because he made it too easy to forget my place in his world. Could Sara have been right about him? Was he really different from what people thought? Or was it just too early for me to tell? Lucian must have noticed the turmoil on my face because he tilted his head slightly, smiled that devastating smile of his, and asked, "What’s going on in that pretty hea
Last Updated : 2025-04-26A Whole New World CHAPTER ONE
ESSENCE I sat quietly in the corner, watching everyone eat, drink, and laugh like it was the happiest day of their lives. Well, it probably was. Everyone’s life but mine. They looked right through me, as if I didn’t exist. Which was ironic, considering I was supposed to be the co-star of the show. It was my tenth wedding anniversary, for goodness’ sake. Ten years married to Alex Watson, yet here I was, the invisible woman at my own celebration. But not Remi Vanguard. Oh no, Remi was impossible to miss. She was the star of the evening. She floated around like she owned the place… like she owned my husband. Alex couldn’t take his eyes off her, and neither could half the people here. Including my nine-year-old son, Asher, who seemed to think she was some kind of goddess sent from heaven to grace us with her presence. I looked at the party I had spent weeks planning. The decorations, the flowers, the cake I nearly lost my eyebrows baking in the middle of the night because the ca
Last Updated : 2025-03-14A Whole New World CHAPTER TWO
ESSENCE My alarm dragged me out of a sleep I didn’t remember falling into. For a second, I forgot why my chest felt so heavy..... then I remembered. I sat up slowly, stretching my arms until my shoulders popped. Yawning, I glanced at the clock. Almost five in the morning, because apparently, heartbreak wakes up early. I was still surprised I’d made it home last night. After everything that had happened—the humiliation, the cold, and the fact that my family treated me like an afterthought—I’d driven home like a zombie on autopilot. And I lived to tell the tale. Sort of. It still hurt, thinking about last night. But sitting around feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to get my family back. I was determined to fix it..... to fix me. I climbed out of bed, splashed water on my face to clear the fog, and headed straight for the kitchen. A while later, I had breakfast set up at the dining table. Toasted bread, eggs, sausage, fruit—served with the kind of love and hope only a wo
Last Updated : 2025-03-18A Whole New World CHAPTER THREE
ESSENCE Once again, I ended up in the arms of the stranger.He caught me before my face hit the ground, flipping my body effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, my back was resting against his other arm, like he’d done this a thousand times before.Our eyes met. Again. And there went my heart, racing like it was training for a marathon. I didn’t even realize I was biting my lower lip until it was too late.'You are truly disgusting, Essence.' I chided myself silently, forcing my teeth away from my lip. At thirty, I was too old to be getting infatuated with a hot stranger who would never think of me that way.Worse, I was a married woman. With a son. And yet, here I was acting like a schoolgirl who’d never seen a man before.I pulled myself away from him quickly and tried to put a good two feet of distance between us.“You need to be more careful,” he said.Then his gaze sharpened. “Why are your cheeks turning red? Are you having indigestion?”“It’s my natural skin tone,” I lied flatly.
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ESSENCE I turned and ran back to my room. I didn’t stop until I was face-down on my bed, crying my heart out.At some point, I slid down to the floor. I sat there for hours, my back against the bed, my face streaked with tears. I wasn’t just crying over what I saw, I was mourning everything. All of it. I thought back to how it started. How I met Alex. He was in a wheelchair back then. An accident had left him paralyzed, but he still showed up to support kids at the orphanage. I was there, too. I had lived a few years of my life in that same orphanage. I understood those kids better than anyone.That was where we met.I had just started my company with my best friends, Hailey and Sky. Life was good. It was mine. Until we fell in love. Alex proposed, and I said yes. I was a size twenty-two even then, but he never complained, he loved me that way. And I believed him. After we got married, I found out he could walk again, if he had surgery. But it was expensive... very
Last Updated : 2025-03-18A Whole New World CHAPTER FIVE
ESSENCE “Did you forget your promise?” I asked, staring at Alex like he was a walking disappointment. “You said it would be just the two of us.” “I know,” he said, holding my arms like I was the unreasonable one. “But try to be flexible. Even your son wants to come.” Right. My son wants to come. The same son who told me to leave my own house. Without another word, I turned, walked back into my room, and slammed the door behind me. My bed barely creaked as I sank into it and stared at nothing. “I should’ve known,” I muttered. “It was too good to be true.” I bent down to unstrap the silver death traps pretending to be shoes. They dug into my fingers as I yanked at the buckles. Of course, Alex picked these shoes. They were his favorite. Mine too—if I’d lost all feeling in my feet. That’s when he came barging into the room. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped. “You know the world doesn’t revolve around you, right?” I scoffed loudly. “You’re the liar full
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ESSENCE For a second, I was too dazed by the impact of my face against a solid chest to react. A warm, unmovable wall of muscle, dressed in expensive black fabric and smelling faintly of rain and something sinfully masculine. I took a shaky step back, trying to regain what little composure I had left, and made an awkward move to sidestep him. But before I could take another step, his hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist, holding me firmly in place. Not rough. Not painful. Just… steady. I looked up, and my breath hitched the second our eyes met. It was him. The hot stranger from the gym. His black suit was tailored to fit his annoyingly perfect frame and he held a black umbrella over his head, although the rain had already dampened his dark hair. His gaze flickered downward, meeting mine, and I saw rage in his eyes. Quiet but burning. And I had no idea why. Was he angry because I’d slammed into his chest? Because I’d run away the last time we met? Maybe he was the k
Last Updated : 2025-03-22
Latest chapter
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
ESSENCE I stood there like a statue, struggling to digest Lucian's last words. Telling the world I was his wife? Without a second thought? Seriously? Was he even aware of what that would cause? The internet would lose its mind. The fashion blogs would probably hold an emergency meeting. All the sexy models of the world would send condolence messages to each other. And yet, he didn’t seem to mind. Then again, Lucian Knight had been surprising me since the very first day I met him. He didn’t behave like the cold, untouchable, notorious player everyone painted him to be. No, he was something else entirely.... warmer, scarier because he made it too easy to forget my place in his world. Could Sara have been right about him? Was he really different from what people thought? Or was it just too early for me to tell? Lucian must have noticed the turmoil on my face because he tilted his head slightly, smiled that devastating smile of his, and asked, "What’s going on in that pretty hea
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
ESSENCE I sat in the room for a while, hugging one of the throw pillows and trying to talk myself into forgetting about what happened the night before. But the more I thought about it, the more embarrassed I felt. Eventually, I told myself that if I didn’t go out soon, Lucian would come looking for me. I got up and padded out to the dining room, steeling myself for whatever came next. Lucian looked up the moment I stepped in. His eyes landed on my face, and his expression immediately shifted into something soft and concerned. "Are you okay?" I nodded, attempting a half-hearted smile. "I'm fine." He motioned to the untouched food. "Come, finish your breakfast." I sat down, but I barely touched the spoon. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm already full." Lucian watched me quietly for a beat before leaning in. "What’s wrong?" I sighed, realizing I couldn’t keep dodging him. Not with the level of attention he was giving to me. “Can we talk in private?” He led me into one of the sitting
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ESSENCE Guilt slammed into me like a thunderbolt. I had overslept. Overslept! On my first official morning as Mrs. Lucian Knight. I darted straight into the bathroom, squeezed out a generous amount of toothpaste, and brushed my teeth like my life depended on it. Forget the two-minute brushing rule... I was in and out like a Formula 1 pit stop. The shower I took? Record-breaking. Fastest in history. I promised myself a proper bath later. Right now, redemption was the mission. I threw on a red floral dress that hugged my curves without screaming, “Late and flustered.” I zipped it up, ran a comb through my hair, and bolted out of the room. The sight that greeted me almost knocked me off my feet. There was an audience waiting for me. No, scratch that. An entire fashion-hospital-corporate ensemble, neatly lined up like I was about to walk a royal runway. Four men and five women in pristine uniforms, standing with racks full of shoes, clothes, and designer bags. Three men and a
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
ESSENCEThe moment Lucian started taking off his robe, my brain went into full panic mode. My body was having a completely different reaction. My mouth went dry, my knees turned to jelly, and my very married-to-a-billionaire-for-one-day self began sweating in places I didn’t even know could sweat.Was he about to have sex with me?No, no, no. Abort mission! If that man laid one finger on me, every one of my secrets would fly out like prisoners escaping a maximum-security prison. My stretch marks, my awkward moans—he'd see it all. And I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t be ready. Not now. Not like this.Then he got off the bed and slipped the silk robe off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor.Oh, Lord.I acted fast. “Oh wow,” I yawned dramatically. “Would you look at that? I suddenly feel very sleepy. Good night, Lucian!”I didn't miss the surprise in his eyes as I dramatically turned on my side and shut my eyes like I was preparing for the longest sleep of my life.The bed dipped behind
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ESSENCE Lucian was just about to pick up the spoon when my phone buzzed again. I picked it up and smiled when I saw Sky’s name. “It’s Sky,” I told him softly, then stood. “Excuse me, I’ll just take this real quick.” I stepped a few feet away and answered the call. “Essy!” Sky’s excited voice rang through, and right after, Hailey’s joined in. “We’re just calling to check up on you. How are you holding up?” “I’m fine,” I said, a little too quickly. Lucian’s voice suddenly came from behind me. “Tell your friends I said hi.” I turned back to look at him, startled... and slightly embarrassed. But the effect was immediate. Both Sky and Hailey went silent on the line. “Wait…” Sky’s voice lowered suspiciously. “Who was that?” I cleared my throat. “That’s… my husband.”Their voices suddenly ceased, probably because they thought I was still married to Alex. I couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when they learned the truth. “Let’s meet up tomorrow evening,” Sky finally spoke
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ESSENCEAfter staring for a while, I stepped out to meet Lucian. Seeing the people kneeling, up close, I felt something twist inside me. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was empathy. Either way, I couldn’t ignore it. Lucian was standing with his arms folded, his jaw clenched as if he were holding back fire. I reached out, gently taking his hand. “Come with me,” I said quietly, pulling him a few steps away from the others. He let me lead. “What’s the punishment exactly?” I asked, keeping my voice soft. He didn’t hesitate. “They’re to kneel for eight hours. After that, I’ll let it go.” My mouth parted in disbelief. “Eight hours? Lucian…” His eyes searched mine, unreadable for a moment. “What?” I sighed and tried to explain. “I know what they did was wrong, and I know they disrespected me... but I also heard what you did for Angel. You’ve always been kind to her, right? Always looked out for her?” He gave a small nod, clearly not sure where I was going with this. “Maybe those six ma
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
ESSENCE Sara nodded thoughtfully as the word left my mouth, her expression soft with something that almost looked like certainty. “You know,” she added, “despite all the things people say about Mr. Knight… I’ve never once seen him get close to any woman. Not even a little. But then you showed up. And he couldn’t take his eyes off you.” I blinked as I muttered. “Are you sure it wasn’t just me tripping over something and falling into his arms or something equally embarrassing?” She smiled, but her eyes stayed serious. “I’ve worked here for months. And I’ve seen him kind to people, yes, but the way he treats you? It’s different. It’s definitely affection, and it’s....” “Don’t say it,” I cut in playfully, holding up a hand. Sara gave me a look, then leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s real love.” Her words made me chuckle. Not because they were funny, but because it was not possible. And Sara, bless her sweet heart, didn’t know the half of it. If only she knew that when I op
A Whole New World CHAPTER THIRTY
ESSENCE After hugging, Lucian and I stood there for a long while, eyes locked, bodies close enough to breathe in each other’s warmth. It was crazy how often this man made me forget what I was supposed to be doing. But as soon as the memory returned, I blinked out of the trance and cleared my throat. “The maids,” I said, touching his chest lightly. “And the butler... they’re still outside waiting for their punishment, remember?” He let out a breath and nodded. “Go on. I’ll catch up with you,” I added. He gave me a little look..... as though he didn’t quite want to leave.... but eventually turned and walked off. Once he disappeared from view, I adjusted my shirt and found myself wandering through the house like a lost tourist in a palace. The halls were quiet now, the buzz from earlier having faded, and the polished floors seemed to echo every soft step I took. The scent of jasmine and wood polish lingered in the air, and the gentle hum of the central air system felt oddly
A Whole New World CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ESSENCE Inspite of myself, I felt like the walls of Lucian's massive bedroom were closing in on me. The air suddenly felt thinner, like there wasn't enough of it to go around. My chest rose and fell faster than it should have, and I couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment, confusion, or the way Lucian had looked at me just a moment ago. "I.... I'm going to check if the maids have kicked Angel out," I muttered, not waiting for a response as I turned and began walking away. But before I could take another step past the door, Lucian's hand caught mine. In one swift, effortless motion, he spun me around until I was facing him again, breath catching in my throat. "Not so fast, baby," he said, eyes narrowing, not in anger, but curiosity. "Tell me something. Earlier, when you walked off during all that drama with the staff... were you about to leave me?" I blinked. "How did you know? Are you secretly telepathic or something? Have you been reading my mind this entire time and
