Elena.Two weeks later.The day I decided to end the marriage contract with Sebastian, the sky was an endless stretch of grey.The kind of grey that blankets the world in a dull, heavy silence, making everything feel colder, more distant. I found it fitting, really. I was about to make the hardest decision I had ever made. The world should feel as bleak as I did inside.We sat across from each other at the kitchen table. The kids were in the other room,playing with their toys and whatnot.We both stared at the divorce papers in front of us, Sebastian’s face as unreadable as ever.He hadn't said much when I told him what I wanted. No anger, no argument. Just an unsettling calm that made me wonder if that was what he wanted."I think this is the best thing for all of us." I said quietly, breaking the silence that threatened to envelope us. "After everything that happened. The lies. I need to focus on gibing those kids their own lives. And you need to take care of your demons."He looke
All Elena wanted was to become the best mother to her daughter. She showered her with love and attention whenever she could, shielding her from the harsh reality of their situation. No one could call her a bad mom. No one. **** Elena. "Elena...." I felt those hands again, creeping up my back and sending trails of pleasure up my spine. My hands were placed firmly on the table behind me to help keep me balanced, lest I slipped and fell on the floor. He wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling my naked body against his until my front was pressed up against his abs. "Elena.." He whispered my name, his deep voice sending shivers through my entire body. I moaned softly when he kissed me, his mouth tasting of tequila and whatever flavour of toothpaste he used—a delicious cocktail of flavours that made me mad with desire. "Elena, Elena.." He grunted as his hands slipped down my body towards my core. I was entirely soaked at this point. I would have given my left lung just for him to p
Sebastian Halloway Men either wanted to be him or see him dead. Whichever came first. Women wanted to wife him, bed him, claim him. Sebastian Halloway was an enigma, a riddle wrapped in temptation. A delicious mystery that everyone craved but no one could solve. By twenty, he had amassed a fortune that rivaled the wealthiest titans of industry. And the only thing that matched his riches was his body—sculpted, revered, and splashed across magazines from New Zealand to England. No one knew if he had a child. No one knew if he was married. No one knew if he even had parents. And most preferred it that way. *** Elena "They’re disgusting, the lot of them." The woman beside me sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. She looked like she had just stepped off the set of a movie about mean girls who never grew up. She turned to me, arching an impeccably shaped brow. "Don’t you agree?" I glanced at the homemade cupcakes I had brought, realizing they weren’t going to win any awards.
Elena.There's only so much one's mental health can take. Only so much one can take."Get out," I snapped, my fingers pointed straight at the exit, "Get out, get out, get out...."If my ex had decided to run a silly game and I was to be used as bait to get him, then I wanted none of it. I wouldn't drag Charlotte down that rabbit hole ever again.The blond woman did not move. Neither did her goons. Instead, she walked into my apartment and made herself comfortable on my worn-out couch, her face devoid of any emotion.My eyes followed each and every movement from her, from her nimble fingers opening her bag and bringing out an envelope that she placed gently on the table. Her eyes met mine, and she made a gesture to the envelope.I had no idea what might be inside. If it was a bomb, then she wouldn't want me to open it while she was still here.Except she was some sort of sadistic bitch.I tore the envelope open, the content inside being a white sheet of paper with information on me and
Elena.He smelled like coffee, mixed with cinnamon. Ash. The woods outside. Oud. I froze in place, partly because I could easily die here, but mostly because I had left the kids alone.I was such a terrible nanny."I won't ask you again, so you better answer fast," He spoke like a cat, soft, slow, and purring each word. "Who the fuck are you? And what the fuck are you doing in this particular room in this estate."My fingers dug into the hand that was draped across my body, my head grew a bit fuzzy and it seemed like I couldn't think of who I was anymore.He held unto my neck, a little too tightly for my liking. At the point of the attack, I had not even registered the fact that he had a literal knife tip pointed at my back. He could kill me if he so desired."I am Elena, I am the nanny for Jaden Halloway,"The chuckle was not what I expected as the response. The chuckle and digging the knife a bit harder, almost enough to break skin."Who are you? Sebastian hired a nanny? Do you real
Elena.He followed the track of my fingers before he pulled his eyes to meet mine."How is Jaden like? I hope he isn't any trouble?"I almost snapped the end of my finger off with the knife I was currently using to cut the spring onions for the omelette. One whole week, he made me stay in a room with the kids, hidden from the rest of the house and the world, because I dared to check out a room while he had visitors at the estate."No," I said simply. Quietly. I did not want to seem like someone who was rude to their employer."Right."I knew he wasn't dumb. Not by a long shot. Those pictures and videos of him I saw on YouTube and tiktok were enough evidence to know he wasn't socially awkward as well.He was just rude.I found it sad that he had to keep all this a secret. He kept Jaden hidden from the world like they would snatch him away if they ever found out about him, and he had to go through such lengths to get someone who needed money desperately as his nanny."Though I reckon he
Elena.Sebastián's wing, at the other end of the property, was empty. There was nothing hanging on the walls. There was nothing next to it. His office wasn't much better, just a stupid brown desk and some chairs next to it.He felt like he had no personality at all.Well, he was a jerk, so I assumed it was some kind of personality.The children were still in the other wing, safe behind doors that were closed. I had no idea if Ryan was still on the property and if he would make a move against Charlotte or Jaden just to spite me.Luck wasn't something that was always on my side, but finding the office door open seemed to be the only good thing that had happened to me since I arrived at the farm.qSebastian's personality seemed to be reflected in his office. The room had been painted a rich, deep coffee brown to match the mahogany desk in the centre of the room. There was a plush sofa next to it filled with pillows of different sizes.Did Sebastian sleep in his office? Different pens an
Elena.Someone left fries, burgers, and drinks from a fast food place on the kitchen counter. Enough to feed ten people. "Burgers," Charlotte squealed in delight. The little girl had been forced to eat healthy or eat my greasy fried eggs that were beginning to lose their appeal.Jaden, on the other hand, approached the counter with much more refrain. His little eyes searched around the room for something. Or someone.A piece of white paper peaked from behind one of the cartons of fries. I scowled as I read the contents.'Ryan can be a handful sometimes. I know you miss the outdoors and freedom. Love, Ari'It came with a signature, too. If this was truly from Ari, then I guessed it was safe to eat. I had not seen any of the other known inhabitants of this estate since yesterday.Helping Charlotte and Jaden with what I was sure they would be able to finish allowed my mind to be focused on one thing. Not what it desperately wanted to think about. Sebastian Halloway. Billionaire. In the
Elena.Two weeks later.The day I decided to end the marriage contract with Sebastian, the sky was an endless stretch of grey.The kind of grey that blankets the world in a dull, heavy silence, making everything feel colder, more distant. I found it fitting, really. I was about to make the hardest decision I had ever made. The world should feel as bleak as I did inside.We sat across from each other at the kitchen table. The kids were in the other room,playing with their toys and whatnot.We both stared at the divorce papers in front of us, Sebastian’s face as unreadable as ever.He hadn't said much when I told him what I wanted. No anger, no argument. Just an unsettling calm that made me wonder if that was what he wanted."I think this is the best thing for all of us." I said quietly, breaking the silence that threatened to envelope us. "After everything that happened. The lies. I need to focus on gibing those kids their own lives. And you need to take care of your demons."He looke
Elena.The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on me as we were escorted out of that hellish place.The men were all around, their voices distant as they checked around the area, and talked to each other.But all my focus was on the two little hands gripping mine tightly - Charlotte on one end and Jaden on the other.Sebastian was by my side as well, his face distant but resolute as we made it outside.There were paramedics around, checking us over. Their gentle hands tended to the cuts and bruises we had.But no matter how many times I told them I was okay, I knew I wasn't. I kept glancing at Charlotte and Jaden, reassuring myself that they were here, that they were safe. But each time I looked at them, I couldn’t help but remember Ryan’s cold, calculating voice, his cruel smile as he threatened the children. It haunted me, replaying in my mind over and over again.I had no idea how I was going to tell Charlotte that her father was dead yet, and that was the reason
ElenaThe cold floor bit into my skin, the damp air thick with the scent of mildew and....urine. Thud. Thud. Thud.My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic rhythm that drowned out the echos of Charlotte whimpers."Mommy." Charlotte's voice was barely a whisper as she unwrapped her arms around me and moved to my side.Jaden was on the floor. Passed out cold from the looks of it.The terror in my eyes mirrored that in Charlotte's. They must have brought him in when we fell asleep.I held unto him.I had to be strong for them.But how was the possible when every breath felt like it could be my last.Footsteps echoed along the hallway, signifying the presence of a couple of people. The door creaked open, and I felt my heart stop.Ryan stepped into the cell, his face twisted into a mask of cold, calculating fury. Behind him, Sebastian’s limp form was dragged in by one of Ryan's men.Blood matted his hair and clothes, and I had to bite back a scream."It's only fitting that I kill the whole
"Elena. Get up. Now."I woke up to the harsh whisper slicing through the silence.Disoriented, I wasn't surprised to find myself alone on the bed, the remnants of last night's comfort dissipated like smoke.What was happening?"Sebastian?" I called out softly, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it.Something was wrong.He was at my side in a flash, his hand gripping mine tightly.For the past eight months, I had worked with and even married him and I had never seen the expression he wore on his face."Get dressed quickly." Sebastian commanded, his voice low but firm. "We need to leave. Now."Panic clawed up my throat. "What's going on?"Sebastian's jaw clenched. "I have no idea what kind of deals you held with Ryan and Elliot but Ryan has gone rogue. He's going to kill you the way he...."A pang pierced my heart at the realisation.Scrambling to my feet, I could feel my heart racing as I yanked on my clothes. "Charlotte, Jaden...""She'
Elena."Hey."I had my arms wrapped around myself, unshed tears glistened in my eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this, but... I didn't want... Charlotte..."My lips trembled in an effort to keep the wobbly smile I had on."Fuck whatever happened." He was by my side in an instant, his eyes scanning my exposed body for any sign of injury. "What happened now? Did Ryan..."His words hung in the air. I could see the way he struggled with himself mentally."It's Charlotte father." I swallowed hard. "My first husband, James Miller. The hospital called and said he was admitted after a car accident. He's..he's..." I choked on a sob I didn't want to slip out.I guess I didn't need to finish my sentence before he understood what I was trying to say. But I didn't expect sympathy from him - his wife crying over her first husband - or anyone in this estate. I expected rage."Come here, sweet girl." The rough crack in his voice was unexpected.He opened his arms, and I didn't hesitate to ste
Elena."My old man's name is Adrian Romanov too. He wants to meet you, and only you."Adrian Romanov's words played a loop in my head like a broken record. Two days after we met and I was yet to find the pause button.Even now, as I watched the kids play, I sensed the torment from Ryan when he couldn't come close to me since Sebastian stayed home and by my side a lot.I also sensed something else from Sebastian. An hostility I never knew he had until now towards Ryan.We'd returned after his conversation with the Russian lord, my heart a vigorous drum in my chest, my blood vibrating in my veins. It was like he had something important he wanted to ask, yet kept himself at a distance. "Does he plan to hurt you too?"Yes.Ryan would stop at nothing to hurt me or the kids if it meant he would have a chance to get some time with his precious James. But I needed his help with Elliot.I'd always been the good girl. The one who loved her parents and hoped for a healthy marriage like theirs w
Sebastian.If Elena was to be described with one word, it was stubborn.The novelty of being our little argument at the estate faded quick when she insisted on coming with me to wherever I was going to.The way we had left things moments ago gnawed at me, and it was quite possible I would go insane if nothing was done about it.I gave in.I was happy that I finally got an audience with Adrian Romanov, but all I could think about was Elena.I stared at her as we walked through the door of the apartment complex where we were supposed to meet. She wore a simple black gown that flared out at the waist side and ended at her knees, but she glowed in a way that made it impossible to look away.I traced her features with my eyes, soaking in the curve of her lips and the way her features came together to birth a beautiful being. When she gave me a little smile to show her support, my heart dipped.Where people smiled with just their mouth, Elena smiled with her eyes. The way the corner of her
Elena.I had no idea how on earth I was supposed to follow a man who was using a car to get to his destination, with a group of people tailing him already.But I knew I had to do it. Even if it was the last thing I did.**Sebastian's face had leached of colour. "That was days ago." He said, his voice low. "People tell their kids stuff all the time. Just to get them off their back.""Did yours? Because until you needed me for some sort of deal, I wasn't more than a nanny to your son to you."He flinched. "Look. I shouldn't have said what I said, but I'm very protective of... Jaden, he's my son, especially after what happened to Rachel. You know, as well as I do, how a child would feel if something happened to someone else he cared about.""So what would happen years after you're done with me?" I couldn't change the sting from the memory. "Once I can be disposed.""You would never be disposed." He raked his hands through his hair, successfully destroying the sleek back look. He was cl
Elena.No one actually thinks they are a bad person.I was playing the game for the long run."There are two options. Get me in on your husband's business and everything it entails, or provide the money and diamond you and James stole from the office."A tough call.I could never be able to provide those.In my defence, I had a good reason for shooting James and inadvertently causing the destruction that followed. I had good reasons for staying away from my dad and Evangeline.When I made attempts for them to end James's life quietly, they had refused.Blackmailing me shouldn't be an option in their lives.The blackmail wasn't something I could tell Sebastian, not when I made a deal with Ryan already.I should have told Sebastian from the beginning. He would have handled the situation in a way that I never could, with poise and dignity. Then again, if I had done that, Elliot wouldn't be able to care for James anymore.I adjusted the tablet in my hand. Between learning how to use devic