(Lydia)“How are you feeling?” Mama asked me, clutching my hand tight as we sat on the sofa in front of the TV room. It had been like this for the past few days: I would come home from work and sit here silently with Mama.“Life has become surreal, Mama,” I said to her, “And not in a good way. I don’t understand why I can’t stop thinking about Thomas. I don’t understand why I keep missing him.”Mama squeezed my hand as my eyes welled up.“But I also can’t forgive him!” I sobbed, “I can’t forgive his cruelty towards me!”Mama put her arms around me. “Shush, Lyddie,” she murmured softly at me.But I could not stop crying.Thomas had been around to see the children. He would come home and play with them for a while every day. But, at those times, I would simply get up and leave.Why did it have to be this way?Mabel and Miles were noticing the tension between us. “Would you like to see what Mabel drew?” Thomas said the other day. The twins looked up at me expectantly.I blinked. “Mabel,
(Thomas)Sarah’s mother stared at me through her piercing gray eyes. “What kind of a ridiculous accusation is this?” she spat, “How could you say such a thing?!”“That’s regrettable,” I said, “I was hoping that we could arrive at some kind of middle ground. I didn’t expect this from you.”“The boy’s lost his mind, Catherine,” her father said to his wife. He turned his stony eyes away and took a puff of his cigar.I took a deep breath and shifted my gaze to the floor. Beside me, Mother’s nostrils flared. “Look, Edward. I came here to talk to you both about this because of the relationship that our families have shared,” she seethed, “Business – family. We’ve always been good friends.”Her gaze turned steely as she clenched her fist. I caught sight of the veins pulsing through the top of her hand. “But if you’re not going take this chance to apologize, I’m afraid we’re going to have to go down another route.”“Another route?” Catherine murmured softly. Her right brow was arched. “Do you
(Lydia)“Your shooting begins today, right?” Ruby asked. She was making paper boats with Mabel and Miles. They were planning to wait for it to stop raining so that they could go outside and sail them in the puddles.“Mommy’s a movie star!” Miles exclaimed, raising his hands up.“Haha, yeah,” I laughed, planting a small kiss on his head.“I’ll be back in the evening,” I told Ruby, putting on my overcoat.I grabbed my umbrella and prepared to leave.But just as I was getting my car keys, the doorbell rang.“Thomas?” I asked, opening the door. This was a strange time for him to come over unannounced.Thomas looked directly into my eyes. He was dripping wet, having run up from his car to the front door.It was pouring outside.“What are you doing here?” I asked him.“I’m here to drop you off at the studio,” he said.“But I—““No, Lydia,” he said firmly, “It’s too stormy for you to go there on your own.”“I don’t—““Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand, “You’re getting late”.***I leaned t
(Lydia)Was it possible to love someone so much that you could forgive any crime that they committed against you? Was it possible that the same person who became the source of so much pain to you could also become the source of such incredible peace and such immense joy?That was how I felt about Thomas.I had always wanted to lead a life of passion. I had always to pursue all that had really meant something to me.Thomas was among those parts of my life. If soul mates were real, Thomas Lombardi was mine. And then there was work.I had always felt deeply passionate about my work, and that is why I had excelled in my career so far. But, unlike Thomas, my career could not hurt me.And that is why I spent the next few days deeply immersed in work.***The first day of shooting was fun.“We’re rolling,” the director had said, signaling for me to begin.My heart was pounding. I had taken a deep breath and stepped up towards Nathan.“Do you know,” I said to him in the British accent of my c
(Thomas)Of all the things in the world, the only one that I had ever chosen with all of my heart was love. I had joined the family business simply because that was what Mother and Father had wanted me to do. And I had been happy to do whatever it was that they wished. I had studied business and built a profitable business.Of all that I had in my life, the only thing that belonged to my soul was my relationship with Lydia.Even in the time that we had spent apart, I had always been intuitively drawn towards her. But I had shoved my gut feelings deep down. I had ignored them.And, now, I was paying the price.I wanted her more than words could describe. That day, when she had thrown her arms around me in the car, I had finally felt that same feeling of peace and joy that I had always had around her.But then, she had pulled away again.It had broken my heart.But Lydia was afraid. I understood.She feared that her heart would be broken again.But just as my intuition had once identif
(Lydia)For the past several days, Nathan had been trying to chat me up – in the cafeteria, during rehearsals, and on set.“We have incredible chemistry,” he said, winking at me.I smiled. “I would just like to be friends, Nathan.”I turned my gaze back towards the sheet of dialogues that I had.“Is there a special guy in your life?” he asked.I looked up at him and chuckled. “Nathan!” I exclaimed, “Stop it! We have to work!”“Where is this guy, then?” Nathan persisted.I shook my head.But later, I had a sinking feeling in my heart. Why, in fact, had Thomas not made any effort towards me in all these days? He was coming to see Mabel and Miles every single day. How come he did not approach me and try to have a conversation with me? Had he given up so easily?By the evening, when we wrapped up for the day, this thought had festered into my mind. It was a devastating idea.“What’s up?” Nathan asked, stepping into the make-up room, “Why are you sitting here all alone?”“Oh, it’s nothing,
(Lydia)“Oh, no, no,” I said, clasping my hands over my mouth.What have I done? I thought to myself.“Thomas!” I yelled, running towards the door. I hurled it open again. He was nowhere to be seen.I ran out into the street and glanced left and right. He was nowhere.I heard a rustle in the bushes but ignored it. I could deal with whatever pest problem that this was later.I darted back towards the house and picked up my bag from the floor. I pulled out my phone and dialed Thomas.“Come on, come on,” I said, “Pick up!”It went unanswered.“Why aren’t you answering the phone, Thomas?!” I exclaimed, agitated.Just then, I heard a car pull up outside.As I dialed a second time and held the phone up to my ear again, Ruby and Jack walked in through the door. They were both chuckling about something. The twins bounced in behind them.“Mommy!” Miles exclaimed, “We went to an adventure park!”“And I sat in a spinning teacup, Mommy!” Mabel said.Ruby turned to look at me and her face fell.“L
(Thomas)“What happened?” I exclaimed, darting into the hospital. Sarah was sitting there with Dr. Esther, her face pale and dark circles around her sockets.“Please drink some water, miss,” the assistant said to Sarah. With shaky hands, she picked up the glass and chugged the water down.“It’s okay, Sarah,” Dr. Esther said softly, “Please have a seat, Mr. Lombardi.”I slowly sat down in a chair beside Sarah.She began to cry as she stared at me. “You had me locked up here?” she sobbed, “How could you do that to me, Thomas?”“He didn’t do this to you, Sarah,” Dr. Esther said softly. Her voice was low and comforting.I stared at Sarah, aghast.I did not know what to say.“I’ll die without you, Thomas,” she said.“Don’t say that,” I said to her, “You’ve always been my friend.”Memories of the two of us from childhood began flooding through my mind: Sarah in her little pink skirt and white T shirt stepping shyly into my house, Sarah jumping and cheering while I played football with Jack
(Lydia)When I woke up in the morning, I felt completely refreshed. Today was special. Thomas and I had a date planned, just the two of us. It had been far too long since we’d had an evening to ourselves, and the thought of spending uninterrupted time with him filled me with excitement. Thomas was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed as he adjusted his tie. His usual morning routine was precise, and I admired how calm and collected he looked, even when I knew his day would be busy. “Good morning,” I murmured, leaning up on my elbows. He turned, smiling warmly, “Good morning, love. Sleep well?” I nodded, sliding closer to him, “You’re leaving early today.” “Lots to do before tonight,” he said with a wink. I couldn’t help but smile at the playful glint in his eyes. Recently, he had been waking up looking like he didn’t get much sleep the night before. But today, he looked like he rested well. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him passionately, savoring the
(Thomas)The drive back to the mansion was quiet, the city lights a blur as they passed by the windows. My mind replayed the events of the day, the chaos with that one candidate, the interviews that went nowhere, and then Jack. That wound, the tension in his voice, the possibility of Marco being involved, it all left a sour taste in my mouth. But I pushed it aside for now. I didn’t want to bring that storm home with me.By the time I pulled into the driveway, the mansion was bathed in soft light, welcoming and warm. I exhaled deeply, the weight of the day slowly lifting as I reminded myself of what mattered most, my family.Inside, the familiar sounds of home greeted me. Miles and Mabel’s laughter echoed from the living room, where they were playing with a set of blocks. Lydia sat nearby, her eyes flicking between them and her phone. When she looked up and saw me, her face brightened in a way that made the tension in my chest ease instantly.“Daddy!” Miles and Mabel shouted in unison
(Thomas)The hallways of the office were unusually quiet as I left the disaster of the last interview behind me. My steps echoed faintly as I made my way toward Jack’s office, needing a moment to vent about the absurdity of the day. Jack always had a way of grounding me, even when the world felt like it was spiraling out of control.But when I arrived at his office, it was empty. The blinds were drawn, the desk cleared except for a mug of cold coffee. I frowned, pulling out my phone to call him.He picked up after a few rings. His voice was low and somewhat strained when he spoke, “Thomas?”“Jack,” I said, glancing at my watch, “Where are you? I just came by your office.”“I’m at my apartment,” he replied, his tone clipped. “At your apartment?” I repeated, my frown deepening, “It’s the middle of the day, Jack. What’s going on?”There was a pause, long enough to make me suspicious. “I had to step out for a bit,” he finally said, “I’ll be back soon.”“Jack-”“Thomas, I’m fine,” he int
(Lydia)As we pulled into the driveway of the mansion, I couldn’t help but glance at Ruby in the passenger seat. Her face was calm, her usual cool composure firmly in place, but I could tell she was exhausted. Whatever had happened earlier was still playing in the back of my mind, but I didn’t press her further. Ruby had always been good at deflecting, and I knew better than to push when she wasn’t ready to share. The front door opened before we even reached it, and there stood Mama, smiling weakly but genuinely. She leaned on her cane, her movements slower since the surgery, but her spirit was intact. Ruby was by her side in a flash, steadying her and guiding her gently back into the living room. “Ruby, you didn’t have to come all the way here if the boutique was busy,” Mama said softly, though her eyes betrayed how much she appreciated the gesture. “I wanted to,” Ruby replied simply, her voice steady, “And you know me, I don’t trust anyone else to make sure you’re properly ta
(Thomas)The office felt unusually stifling today, as if the walls were closing in on me. My desk was piled with documents, but my attention was split. Half of my mind churned through what would happen when I met Nathan again.I had not seen him face to face since the last time, the night I found Lydia after he had kidnapped her. My blood boiled just thinking about that moment. I would have made a rash decision if it wasn’t for Lydia’s hand in mind and the thought of our kids, their smiling faces flashing through my mind.They had already spent so much time without me, their dad, I wasn’t going to make a horrible decision by harming Nathan and landing myself behind bars.I was glad that I hadn’t acted out of emotion, but that was also due to the fact that Lydia was right in front of me, looking relatively unharmed. If he had done something to her…then I would have taken it into my hands.Apart from this, there was also the added stress of finding another personal assistant for myself.
(Lydia)By the time I reached Ruby’s apartment, I could hardly breathe. My legs burned from climbing the stairs two at a time, but I didn’t care. My mind was racing, filled with every worst-case scenario I could imagine. Ruby’s phone going unanswered and her not showing up at the mansion had sent my thoughts spiraling into dark territory.I pounded on her door, my fist landing hard against the wood.“Ruby? Open up! It’s me!”The hallway was eerily silent, my frantic knocks echoing off the walls. I pressed my ear to the door, hoping to catch even the faintest sound of movement inside.“Ruby, please! Are you okay?”The seconds stretched unbearably. Then, finally, I heard the muffled shuffle of footsteps. Relief surged through me, but it was fleeting.The door opened just a crack, and Ruby appeared, peeking through the gap. Her face was calm, but her eyes held a flicker of something…annoyance? Discomfort?“Lydia,” she said, her voice carefully even, “What are you doing here?”I pushed th
(Lydia)I spent the car ride back home in relative silence, my thoughts consumed by everything that had happened in the past few months. The whirlwind of Nathan’s threats, Jack’s complicated relationship with Ruby, and Mama’s illness. It felt like I was constantly running a marathon with no finish line in sight.Now, as I crossed the threshold into the house, a surge of relief washed over me. At least for a few hours, I could breathe.My speech in the Assembly Hall had been well-received and I was grateful for that. What I had done was a long time coming because I had been worried about Mabel and Miles’ school for quite some time. Ever since they came home one day and told me what the kids were talking about, I had a thought in the back of my mind that this was going to be a problem moving forwards. And it was.Well, I hope all of that was settled now. As I walked into the living room, I saw Mama sitting in a recliner, bundled in a blanket despite the warmth of the room.“Back alread
(Ruby)I left the boutique in the afternoon to go to my apartment. I had some chores to do and I knew the apartment was probably a mess. When I reached there, I immediately started to do laundry. It took time, but I got it done just in time.As I folded the last of the laundry, I couldn’t help but think about what to eat since I’d planned to grab a quick bite before heading to the mansion to look after Mama. One of my workers was closing the boutique for me today, a rare reprieve I desperately needed. I had just gathered my things when a knock at the door startled me. I paused, glancing at the clock. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Peering through the peephole, I saw nothing but the empty corridor. My first thought was that it might be another bouquet. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the door. What I saw made me gasp so loudly I nearly dropped my bag. “Jack!” He was on his knees, his face pale and sweaty, twisted in pain. Blood stained his shirt and pants, and his han
(Jack)The tension had been building inside me all morning, a storm of frustration and unanswered questions I couldn’t shake. Thomas’s decision to meet with Nathan still gnawed at me. It wasn’t just the secrecy of it, though that alone was bad enough, it was the recklessness. The risk. But as much as that boiled my blood, there was another matter weighing heavily on my mind, and this one had a name: Marco.By midday, I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to get anything productive done sitting in my office, stewing over things I couldn’t control. I grabbed my jacket, told my assistant I’d be out for the rest of the day, and headed for Amanda’s apartment. If anyone could give me answers about Marco, it was her. When I reached her apartment, Amanda opened the door, her eyes widening slightly in surprise as she asked, “Jack? What are you doing here?” “We need to talk,” I said, stepping inside before she could protest. She frowned but didn’t argue, closing the door behind me. Her apartme