Emelia's POV"You're such a conniving bitch!" Lily screeched as she took angry steps towards me. "How can you be so hell-bent on ruining my life?!"Mason stepped in front of me, acting as my shield. "Watch your mouth, Miss Lily." His tone was cold and had an edge to it I hadn't heard before. "Don't think I'll let you get away with disrespecting Emelia as you've done before. I won't be as forgiving."That just made Lily even angrier as her expression mirrored that of a feral animal ready to pounce on her prey. A baffled laugh escaped her lips for just a moment before her eyes locked on me."First Victor, and now him? Just how many men do you have wrapped around your finger, huh? Have you no shame? How long has that been going on?" Lily motioned between the two of us.I stepped out from Mason's protective stance between Lily and I and approached her myself. "You've got a lot of damn nerve to accuse me of anything!""You want to talk about me being conniving after everything you've done?!
Emelia's POV"Emelia, are you okay?"The sound of Mason's voice had been drowned out by the sound of my heart dropping to the floor. I shouldn't have been feeling this—this sadness, this disappointment, this anger.We were divorced!What did it matter what Victor was doing with Lily? Why did it matter that Lily was pregnant with his child?But then it hit me…I'd lost my child; lost my ability to become a mother because of Lily. Despite her malice and manipulations, he chose to reward her with the most precious gift of them all.A life. A baby.She of all people didn't deserve to cradle a child; to know its love, its warmth, and to be there for its firsts."Emelia?"This time, Mason's voice pulled me from my inner thoughts. I needed to not be stuck in my own head. It was too easy to get that way, and I had other things I needed to focus on.I shook my head and looked up into Mason's eyes. "S-sorry. I'm okay now, thank you."Mason gave me a wary look, but relinquished his hold from arou
Emelia's POVI sat in my car for what felt like hours. In reality, it probably hadn't been any more than a minute. My face was hot from anger, and my heart heavy from the earlier fiasco."My baby!" Lily screamed."I got you!" Victor spoke heroically.I would've thrown up in my car if I had a spare plastic bag… But I knew there was no use in staying here. Whether I liked it or not, I had to face him.Or maybe bolt for the house and slam the door in his face…When I exited my car, I walked slowly and cautiously like I was navigating a minefield. One wrong step towards him, and I'd be subjected to his horrible excuses and weak apologies.As it would seem, however, the whole damn driveway was filled with mines."Emelia…" Victor straightened his back even as I tried to give him a wide berth. "Are you okay?"As usual, anything that came out of his mouth immediately set me off. "Why the hell do you care?" My nostrils flared. "Don't you have a new baby to worry about?!"Victor flinched at my w
Emelia's POVVictor fell silent; the space between us grew thicker and heavier with the weight of the words he wouldn't speak. His silence stretched for a long time. Too long.Dread and despair settled at the pit of my stomach, swirling into something horrible. Because in this silence, I was able to recognize this for what it was—an admission.Victor knew that if he physically had to say those words out loud, then everything he said to me was just dust on the wind. All the sentiments of him caring; his sadness; his regret—it would've truly meant nothing if he admitted to being the father of Lily's child.But he didn't need to say it. I already knew.Rage and sorrow blanketed my mind like a darkness. There was no light holy or divine enough to penetrate rational thoughts. My heart quickened as it pounded against my chest like a wild animal. Blood coursed through my veins and boiled beneath my skin.I was determined to show this man the hell he dragged me down to.Without thinking, I lu
Emelia's POVMy encounter with Victor was exhausting; the weight of the words spoken weighing down my shoulders like a boulder. As soon as my head hit the pillow, sleep claimed me just as fast.If I wasn't reliving the nightmare of losing my child, then I wasn't dreaming. Oftentimes, I found relief in the black of nothingness.But this dream was still nothing short of a nightmare. Just in the way I wasn't expecting.It took me back to the days before Lily came back into the picture—when Victor and I were happy.Stolen kisses in the breakroom when no one else was around.Late dinners if one of us ended up staying late for work.Doing chores in our underwear, dancing to whatever music was playing.Sunbathing under the summer sun at our beach house.It was a nightmare of what used to be; of what could've been had Lily not come back and ruined things. It broke my heart even more to think about how Victor wasn't happy during any of it.I watched the memories unfold before me like it was a m
Emelia's POV"I'll call you back later, okay?" I spoke in a rushed tone. As much as I didn't want to end this conversation between Alexis and I, I needed to see what Lady Ruby had to say. Especially after everything that happened."Okay, but don't keep me in suspense for too long!""Trust me; the cliffhanger will be worth the wait!"I hung up on Alexis and immediately picked up Lady Ruby's call."I'm sorry," I said almost immediately. "I was on the phone with a friend of mine. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long."No, not at all. Is now not a good time?""I'm free to talk!" I said a little too quickly. "Is everything okay?"There was a moment of hesitation before Lady Ruby spoke up again. "I know it's rather late, but are you free right now? I feel as though this is something we may need to discuss in person."Something about that statement made me feel uneasy, but I knew it had to be something of importance if she was asking to see me so late. I looked up at the clock and sa
Victor's POVThe full moon hung high and bright in the night sky tonight, but not even its soft light could penetrate the darkness in my mind. I took another swig of alcohol, hoping its bitterness would distract me from my thoughts, but even that was a useless attempt. Ever since Emelia told me to leave, I’d been clinging on to the way her voice sounded; to the image of her brown hair falling in waves past her shoulders; and how the scent of her vanilla-strawberry fragrance lingered onto my clothing when she’d grabbed me by the collar. She may have sent me away, but I wanted nothing more than to see her again, and to hear her voice. I even toyed with the idea of showing up at her doorstep on my knees. But what could I possibly say to her now? What more could I do to convince her to let me back in, even if it was just for a little while? I’d secluded myself in my room for the last few hours after my mother had been relentlessly pestering me about marriage. It was all she ever spoke
Victor's POVFor the last three days, I'd banished myself from my home and lived within the confines of my office. It made me grateful that I took the contractor's consideration into renovating a small, bachelor's penthouse in the space above my office when he'd offered it.It seemed like he knew a thing or two about needing to escape one's house from time to time.Over the course of those few days of respite, I hadn't responded to a single message my mother or Lily sent me. A part of me knew it was unfair to treat them like this, but I truly couldn't bring myself to care.My mind and heart were caught up in a storm, and I couldn't see a way to save myself from the damage it was inflicting. There was no making a rational decision when there was only one thing—one person—I could think about.And she wanted nothing to do with me.To prevent myself and my mind from spiraling again, I decided to drown myself in as much work as I could. Especially since there were still matters of the plagi
Victor's POV"What the hell is this?!" My voice boomed within the workspace. The speculating whispers and chitter chatter halted, and everything and everyone froze. "Is this some kind of joke?!"My gaze burned into the eyes of those who dared to meet mine. No one had an answer; many of them looked away under the weight of my fury. They were all quiet, and perhaps they truly had no idea what this was supposed to be. But I didn't care. I wasn't looking to spare anyone with how much of a horrible mood I'd been in for the past few days—hell, more like a little over a month at this point.My heart was torn to pieces with the loss of my child and the divorce.I didn't want to remarry!I didn't want to claim a child I had no recollection of even conceiving!No one was taking my thoughts and feelings into consideration, which pissed me off even more! I'm considered one of the wealthiest CEOs in this region. So why in the hell was I being coerced into doing things I didn't want to do?No one i
Victor's POVFor the last three days, I'd banished myself from my home and lived within the confines of my office. It made me grateful that I took the contractor's consideration into renovating a small, bachelor's penthouse in the space above my office when he'd offered it.It seemed like he knew a thing or two about needing to escape one's house from time to time.Over the course of those few days of respite, I hadn't responded to a single message my mother or Lily sent me. A part of me knew it was unfair to treat them like this, but I truly couldn't bring myself to care.My mind and heart were caught up in a storm, and I couldn't see a way to save myself from the damage it was inflicting. There was no making a rational decision when there was only one thing—one person—I could think about.And she wanted nothing to do with me.To prevent myself and my mind from spiraling again, I decided to drown myself in as much work as I could. Especially since there were still matters of the plagi
Victor's POVThe full moon hung high and bright in the night sky tonight, but not even its soft light could penetrate the darkness in my mind. I took another swig of alcohol, hoping its bitterness would distract me from my thoughts, but even that was a useless attempt. Ever since Emelia told me to leave, I’d been clinging on to the way her voice sounded; to the image of her brown hair falling in waves past her shoulders; and how the scent of her vanilla-strawberry fragrance lingered onto my clothing when she’d grabbed me by the collar. She may have sent me away, but I wanted nothing more than to see her again, and to hear her voice. I even toyed with the idea of showing up at her doorstep on my knees. But what could I possibly say to her now? What more could I do to convince her to let me back in, even if it was just for a little while? I’d secluded myself in my room for the last few hours after my mother had been relentlessly pestering me about marriage. It was all she ever spoke
Emelia's POV"I'll call you back later, okay?" I spoke in a rushed tone. As much as I didn't want to end this conversation between Alexis and I, I needed to see what Lady Ruby had to say. Especially after everything that happened."Okay, but don't keep me in suspense for too long!""Trust me; the cliffhanger will be worth the wait!"I hung up on Alexis and immediately picked up Lady Ruby's call."I'm sorry," I said almost immediately. "I was on the phone with a friend of mine. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long."No, not at all. Is now not a good time?""I'm free to talk!" I said a little too quickly. "Is everything okay?"There was a moment of hesitation before Lady Ruby spoke up again. "I know it's rather late, but are you free right now? I feel as though this is something we may need to discuss in person."Something about that statement made me feel uneasy, but I knew it had to be something of importance if she was asking to see me so late. I looked up at the clock and sa
Emelia's POVMy encounter with Victor was exhausting; the weight of the words spoken weighing down my shoulders like a boulder. As soon as my head hit the pillow, sleep claimed me just as fast.If I wasn't reliving the nightmare of losing my child, then I wasn't dreaming. Oftentimes, I found relief in the black of nothingness.But this dream was still nothing short of a nightmare. Just in the way I wasn't expecting.It took me back to the days before Lily came back into the picture—when Victor and I were happy.Stolen kisses in the breakroom when no one else was around.Late dinners if one of us ended up staying late for work.Doing chores in our underwear, dancing to whatever music was playing.Sunbathing under the summer sun at our beach house.It was a nightmare of what used to be; of what could've been had Lily not come back and ruined things. It broke my heart even more to think about how Victor wasn't happy during any of it.I watched the memories unfold before me like it was a m
Emelia's POVVictor fell silent; the space between us grew thicker and heavier with the weight of the words he wouldn't speak. His silence stretched for a long time. Too long.Dread and despair settled at the pit of my stomach, swirling into something horrible. Because in this silence, I was able to recognize this for what it was—an admission.Victor knew that if he physically had to say those words out loud, then everything he said to me was just dust on the wind. All the sentiments of him caring; his sadness; his regret—it would've truly meant nothing if he admitted to being the father of Lily's child.But he didn't need to say it. I already knew.Rage and sorrow blanketed my mind like a darkness. There was no light holy or divine enough to penetrate rational thoughts. My heart quickened as it pounded against my chest like a wild animal. Blood coursed through my veins and boiled beneath my skin.I was determined to show this man the hell he dragged me down to.Without thinking, I lu
Emelia's POVI sat in my car for what felt like hours. In reality, it probably hadn't been any more than a minute. My face was hot from anger, and my heart heavy from the earlier fiasco."My baby!" Lily screamed."I got you!" Victor spoke heroically.I would've thrown up in my car if I had a spare plastic bag… But I knew there was no use in staying here. Whether I liked it or not, I had to face him.Or maybe bolt for the house and slam the door in his face…When I exited my car, I walked slowly and cautiously like I was navigating a minefield. One wrong step towards him, and I'd be subjected to his horrible excuses and weak apologies.As it would seem, however, the whole damn driveway was filled with mines."Emelia…" Victor straightened his back even as I tried to give him a wide berth. "Are you okay?"As usual, anything that came out of his mouth immediately set me off. "Why the hell do you care?" My nostrils flared. "Don't you have a new baby to worry about?!"Victor flinched at my w
Emelia's POV"Emelia, are you okay?"The sound of Mason's voice had been drowned out by the sound of my heart dropping to the floor. I shouldn't have been feeling this—this sadness, this disappointment, this anger.We were divorced!What did it matter what Victor was doing with Lily? Why did it matter that Lily was pregnant with his child?But then it hit me…I'd lost my child; lost my ability to become a mother because of Lily. Despite her malice and manipulations, he chose to reward her with the most precious gift of them all.A life. A baby.She of all people didn't deserve to cradle a child; to know its love, its warmth, and to be there for its firsts."Emelia?"This time, Mason's voice pulled me from my inner thoughts. I needed to not be stuck in my own head. It was too easy to get that way, and I had other things I needed to focus on.I shook my head and looked up into Mason's eyes. "S-sorry. I'm okay now, thank you."Mason gave me a wary look, but relinquished his hold from arou
Emelia's POV"You're such a conniving bitch!" Lily screeched as she took angry steps towards me. "How can you be so hell-bent on ruining my life?!"Mason stepped in front of me, acting as my shield. "Watch your mouth, Miss Lily." His tone was cold and had an edge to it I hadn't heard before. "Don't think I'll let you get away with disrespecting Emelia as you've done before. I won't be as forgiving."That just made Lily even angrier as her expression mirrored that of a feral animal ready to pounce on her prey. A baffled laugh escaped her lips for just a moment before her eyes locked on me."First Victor, and now him? Just how many men do you have wrapped around your finger, huh? Have you no shame? How long has that been going on?" Lily motioned between the two of us.I stepped out from Mason's protective stance between Lily and I and approached her myself. "You've got a lot of damn nerve to accuse me of anything!""You want to talk about me being conniving after everything you've done?!