Emelia's POVI kept my gaze locked onto Victor's but I could feel his demeanor had changed. While his expression was hard to read, I could tell that he was conflicted.Like he couldn't choose between me or Lily.As I leaned in to try and give him another kiss, Victor pulled away. Suddenly, his arm was no longer around my waist, and he'd stepped back a few inches.I gave him a pleading look, but he didn't acknowledge me. Disappointment, frustration, and sadness lingered in the space between us."I'll be right back, okay Lily?" Victor finally broke the silence. "I'm just going to take a shower real quick.""But I'm hungry now!" Lily pouted."Hey, you still haven't even picked what you wanted." Victor joked half-heartedly. "Keep looking around. I'll be back to make you whatever, okay?"Lily crossed her arms and turned away to go raid our kitchen cabinets for ingredients.Meanwhile, I stomped after Victor up the steps and followed him into our bathroom."You can't be serious, Victor." I p
Emelia's POVAt that moment, I felt a shift in my own energy that I hoped wasn't going to happen on this trip. Even when Lily wasn't here, it was like I couldn't escape the clutches of her affect on me.This time alone with him was precious, and I didn't want to let go of the perfect memories we were just starting to make with each other. Even if his mention of her was innocent and probably unintentional, I didn't want to ruin this moment by bringing her up.Victor tilted his head, as if sensing something was off about me. "Is everything okay, Emelia?"I nodded my head, and smiled. "Yeah it's just…" I hesitated, wondering if I brought her up if he thought I was suddenly being weird or unreasonable. But I knew if I didn't ask, it'd just eat me alive."It seems you and Lily have a lot of history together… Have you taken her here to this restaurant, too?"Victor nodded his head. "I have, although if you want to be technical, it wasn't my doing. My dad was celebrating a business deal he h
Emelia's POVANOTHER damn secret! How much was I meant to uncover?!First, she's an unknown work colleague. Then, she suddenly has a name and it's Lily. And then she's a childhood friend?Friend! Just a friend! I scoffed at the thought.And now this? Now there's a photo of them kissing?! Immortalized in a damn café of all places?I really thought I was going to lose it. I wanted nothing more than to leap over the counter and rip the photo to shreds.The sudden jingle of the bell above the door pulled me back to my senses, and my eyes snapped to the man who walked through the door as if he didn't have a care in the world.Victor."Hey, I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long." Victor smiled.I wore a scowl on my face in disbelief of the man who stood before me. This person was no longer who felt familiar; he was nothing but a stranger. His promises and comfort he had once given me were nothing more than tools of deception.And to get to what end? I had no idea.Still, it made me
Emelia's POVVictor left almost immediately, as if he truly thought my words were me giving him permission. For someone as smart as him, it baffled me with just how foolish he could be when it came to my emotions!How was it that he couldn't see that he was being manipulated? Oh, because he didn't see it that way. How stupid of me to think that he didn't think of her as anything less than perfect…I'd tossed my luggage back onto our—well, now my—bed, even though I had planned to leave.My heart felt like it was being torn in half, and Victor wanted to do nothing about it. Hell, if anything, he was the reason why it was happening.All it took was one damn phone call for our perfect getaway to come crashing down. Once again, our relationship was pushed towards its breaking point.It made me feel like a damn idiot for thinking things were going to change. Even though he'd shown me time and time again that he was incapable of prioritizing his own wife over her.I loved Victor with everyth
Emelia's POVAt first, I couldn't find the words to respond to the man before me. To say he was incredibly handsome would be an understatement.Short, black hair was slicked back, as sharp features encased flawless skin. High cheekbones rested just under a beautiful pair of vibrant green eyes.The deep blue suit he was wearing was immaculate and free of any wrinkles. It looked expensive; very similar in style to what Victor would wear.I had to pick my jaw off the floor so I could greet him properly. "I am, but have we met? I'm sorry; I'm having a hard time recognizing you.""You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm sorry. I don't mean to come off as a creep." Even his chuckle was smooth. "My name is Mason Leone; we attended the same Gala Dinner a few days ago."I met his politeness with a very strained smile. I'd wanted nothing more than to forget about that awful night and the effects it had on me emotionally and physically.Mason seemed to notice my hesitation and spoke f
Emelia's POV"I... I don't know. I love Victor so much, despite everything that's happened. He truly isn't a bad man, it's just..."The cracks that formed in my heart made it so much easier for the doubt to creep in, even though I didn't want it to. I did love Victor, but everything that's been happening with Lily made it so hard for me to just forgive and forget.Alexis sighed knowingly on the other end of the line. "You don't have to figure it all out right now. Whatever you decide to do, you know I'm always here for you.""That's why you're the best, Alexis.""Oh, I know I am." Alexis's smile could even be felt through the phone. "And if you want, you can come crash at my place for a few days. I'd hate for you to be alone in a foreign city without anyone to look out for you.""You know what? I'd love that. We haven't had a good sleep over in over a decade anyway."Her kindness and support was exactly what I needed right now. I was so tired of feeling like I was alone."Yay!" Alexis
Emelia's POVThe line went silent at my mention of divorce. Even though I'd told Alexis that I didn't even know what the best course of action was right now, like an idiot, I blurted it out anyway.It's not like I was truly considering it, but the thought lingered in my mind that maybe he had considered divorce before. After all, it was made apparent that his priorities were elsewhere."What did you say? Are you serious right now?""You heard what I said." I said as I fought back tears. "Why did you marry me? Did you even want to? Because it's obvious to me that you care about Lily way more!""Are you drunk or something?" Victor asked in a more serious tone. "We can't have a conversation like this if you're not sober."I scoffed. "I am sober, and you need to answer my question! Have you ever wanted to divorce me or not?!"I braced myself for the worst possible answer, even though I wasn't sure if I could take it. I was just so tired of feeling like I was getting caught up in my own mar
Emelia's POVI stood frozen at seeing Victor right outside of Alexis's house. He knew her address because we've had many dinners, random movie nights, and small get-togethers before, so I wasn't so much surprised about him actually being here.It was him showing up in the middle of the night that really took me aback.Once I'd met Victor, I found out that he treasured his sleep and rest a lot. As a CEO, the busy and fast-paced days at work often drained him, so he hardly stayed out late or did anything in the middle of the night that wasn't important.Well… Until Lily came crashing back into his life…So, while it seemed that he was breaking his own rules for Lily, I wasn't expecting him to also break it for me. So seeing him here truly was truly surprising. What did he want?Victor looked up at the window I stood in front of and waved. He pulled out his phone then called me immediately."Hey, Emmy. Can you come down? I really want to talk to you."Something about his voice sounded
Emelia's POV"I had to come see you off, of course." Grandpa Antonio smiled at me. "You don't think I would let my favorite granddaughter leave for Italy without me saying goodbye, do you?"My smile faded almost immediately. "W-wait, you know? Then does that mean that Victor—""He doesn't." Grandpa was quick to reassure me. "Given everything that's happened between you two, I've made sure to keep this a secret.""But how do you know?""Ezra's been a good friend of mine since my college days. We entered the jewelry design industry together, but clearly one of us took it more seriously." Then he hesitated for a moment. "She, um, she also mentored Victor for a little while. So, she may or may not have told me about…""Let's go inside." I interrupted him and held the door open. "We can talk more once we're comfortable and sitting."As grandpa came inside the home, his eyes looked around at the packed suitcases and boxes of belongings that were stacked in the foyer. When he turned to look a
Emelia's POVA week had passed since everything with Victor happened. In truth, I gave it little thought because Lady Ruby reached out to me the day after I'd gotten done celebrating with Mason and told me to start packing for Italy.Apparently, the start date for her latest project was moved forward because all the prep plans finished earlier than anticipated.Hearing those words filled me with as much anxiety as it did excitement. I wasn't expecting the move to happen so soon and suddenly!The following days were spent in a whirlwind of preparations as well as keeping everything lowkey. After the incident with Victor, I tried my best to keep myself from going out in public unless necessary.It was clear someone in the outside world was feeding him information about what I was doing and who I was with… There was just obviously no way of figuring out who.Luckily, I had Mason and Alexis to help me move quickly and quietly."Is this really all you're taking?" Mason tilted his head to th
Emelia's POVI eyed Mason's speedometer like a hawk as I watched the numbers increase with a knot in my stomach. Guilt tore at my nerves. If it wasn't for me, Victor wouldn't be chasing us down this half-deserted road like a maniac! For the first time since our divorce, I felt fear. This went beyond breaking boundaries—this was straight up stalking! How did he even know where the hell to find me? What was his goal? I looked over at Mason to find him looking back at me. A mixture of anger and worry turned his lips down and furrowed his eyebrows together. "Mason, I'm so—" "There's no way you're apologizing right now, are you?" "You're telling me I shouldn't be?" I jerked my thumb back in the direction of Victor's car tailgating that was still pretty much on our asses. "If it wasn't for me, this wouldn't be—" "Stop." Mason's voice was firm. "You shouldn't be taking the blame for his actions. He's CHOOSING to do this, not you. This isn't your fault; it never will be." I sighed. "Ea
Emelia's POVI stared at the caller ID in disbelief. How did he always manage to do this? It was like Victor possessed a sixth sense when it came to my every movement. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? I ignored his call and placed my phone on Do Not Disturb before shoving it into my bag. I wasn't going to let him ruin the day I was trying to salvage. Yet, his insistence on wanting to speak with me was an omen of what was to come.Victor had eyes everywhere in the city—unfortunately, it came with the territory of being one of the region's most affluent and resourceful CEOs. Which, for me, meant that it was going to be a matter of sooner rather than later when he'd hear news of my move for Italy. It made me sick to think about what his reaction would be. His actions and persistence over the last few weeks had given off nothing more than sheer desperation. Why was he so anxious about having some kind of relationship with me now? He had a kid on the way and an engagement to the wom
Emelia's POV"Mason, I need you to say something, or I'm going to throw up." I admitted after another few minutes of us sitting in an awkward, and tense silence.Mason went through the motions of opening his mouth and closing it again rapidly. It was like he was trying to get his thoughts together, but couldn't. Pink highlighted his cheeks like he was just as embarrassed as me.After a few more moments of agonizing—at least to me—silence, he finally spoke. "That's actually great news, Emelia. I'm happy for you, really." Then he smiled.He smiled.I released a sigh of relief. The weight of anticipation lifted, and the nausea of waiting for his answer finally subsided."Don't ever leave me in suspense like that!" I managed to laugh; half in bewilderment, half in humor to release the rest of the tension I'd been holding onto. "But, I'm glad you're happy for me, really. I honestly was so scared to tell you…"Mason raised an eyebrow. "What? Really?""Yeah, I mean, you nailed it with the who
Emelia's POVIt was noon by the time I woke up the next day; indicative of the much harsher rays of midday sunlight that lit up every inch of my room. I groaned in retaliation.At that moment, it was like I was a vampire. I hated the sun.Even though I thought some sleep would've refreshed my mind, it just felt like I carried everything over from yesterday.The heaviness of my conversation with Alexis never left my chest or my shoulders. I couldn't even find the mask I wanted to wear to hide my emotions.Today was going to be a hard day.I crawled out of bed and couldn't even find it in myself to actually get dressed for the day. At the bare minimum, I was able to comb out my hair and brush my teeth.As I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, I stood in front of the refrigerator door until it started to beep from being opened for too long. I stared at the ingredients, unsure as to what I wanted—not just from the food, but also from everything that was going on.It made me think
Emelia's POV"Italy?" Alexis stared at me blankly for a few seconds. Then, the interrogation started. "Wait, wait—you're going overseas? When? Soon? Tomorrow? Because of what's happening with Victor? Why did she invite you to Italy?"I spent the next hour explaining everything that happened. It was then that I realized that I never even told her about what happened with the whole plagiarism scandal.The conversation was heavy and charged. I had to relive the embarrassment of the whole paparazzi ganging up on me, being put on blast on television, and having my whole career scrutinized.Not to mention Lily trying to attack me, her whole pregnancy scare, and now her engagement to Victor.Alexis stared at me for a few minutes as my words and heart finally decided to settle. Different emotions flashed through her eyes, as she tried to make sense of everything I'd dumped onto her.After a few tense minutes, she finally spoke up. "So, all of this is to say that you're the one leaving this tim
Emelia's POVIt was another day of sitting idly by my window and staring at photos of potential properties in Italy; from seaside condos, to lovely villas in the countryside. Over the past few days, I hadn't gotten any closer to making a decision on Lady Ruby's offer.It was on my mind constantly.But I was still caught up in the sentimentality of this place, despite wanting so badly to start fresh. This was a dream offer—a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even though I knew it'd be a stupid decision to turn down something like this, there was something in my heart that was anchoring me to this place.This place that caused me so much pain…I sighed and closed my laptop. My mind was still a muddied mess, especially after my encounter with Victor from a few days ago.Which I hadn't stopped thinking about, unfortunately. For whatever reason, my sleeping consciousness seemed to mirror Victor's hopefulness.But there was one thing I was still caught up on."I wish it was as simple as letti
Victor's POV"I did it for your own good" My mother cried. "You weren't taking things seriously, so I had to put my foot down! You made a promise to take care of Lily through it all—how is this any different, huh?"To take my promise from all those years ago and to weaponize it against my autonomy and free-will almost sent me over the edge.I thought I was numb from all the frustrations and grief of the divorce and losing my child with Emelia… But damn if this betrayal from my mother didn't slice me open again and leave another wound for me to tend later.How could she do this to me? Were parents not supposed to look out in the best interest of their child? Could she not see how selfish she was in only considering Lily's feelings?As those thoughts came to my mind, it hit me then.Everything that was happening to me, I'd done to Emelia. All the betrayal and the hurt I was experiencing, she'd experienced at my hands.That revelation nearly broke me in two.How the hell could I have bee