Laia and I sat alone in the empty nursery, surrounded by the remnants of what was supposed to be our child's life. The walls were painted a soft blue, the crib neatly made with a plush teddy bear sitting atop it. But the room remained silent, empty, and devoid of the cries and laughter that should have filled it. It hadn’t been that long since Laia and my parents started to set up this room. My heart ached with the pain of loss, as I thought back to the moment when we had to say goodbye to our beloved son.
After the death of our baby, the hospital room felt suffocatingly silent without the sound of our child's cries. Laia lay in bed, recovering from the trauma of her untimely childbirth, the loss of our son and the injuries she acquired from the car accident, while I sat beside her, feeling helpless and lost.
Our families and friends had come to offer their condolences and support, but their presence did little to ease the heaviness in my heart. The emptiness of
My parents had to go because Laia requested some alone time after Lucas’ death. I didn't push to have anyone else around us because I respected her wishes. Yet hearing her sob in silence crushes my heart to bits. I gave my all to make her feel better, but it never seemed to be enough. Both of us were suffering from the loss of our child, and I was unsure of how to make her eyes sparkle once again. I regretted not being present for her more. I tried to ignore the anguish and sorrow I felt within by spending most of my days at the office. When Laia finally broke the silence once more, her remarks threw me off guard. When she retreated from my embrace, she muttered, "Az... let's dissolve our marriage." Dread and despair mixed as I quavered, dropping to my knees while trying to reach for her hand. "I apologize for not spending more time with you at times like this; please do not abandon me," I begged. It felt like a massive rock was crushing me, and I had no idea how to convince her to
The next morning, I woke up early, still weighed down by grief and exhaustion from the previous days. Because I needed to be with my wife during this difficult time, I decided to work from home.I carefully stood up and went to the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee and went back to the room. I placed my coffee on the nightstand as I set up the table beside the bed, then set up my laptop and the papers that I needed to review on it.Laia remained sound asleep on the bed, her breathing steady and slow. For a brief moment, I sat on the edge of the bed, sipping my coffee and feeling a wave of peace as I watched her chest rise and fall. My wife's presence kept me from being productive and focused on the task at hand. I want to roll over again and cuddle with her.I shook my head, trying to concentrate on the task at hand as I went through my emails, responding to urgent messages and making a list of tasks that needed to be completed. But my thoughts kept going back to Lucas and the investiga
I felt as though I was falling in love with Laia all over again, but this time it was deeper and more intense than anything I had ever felt before. a depth that I knew I couldn't get away from—and I don't want to get away from either. It was a love that would confine me and support me through the darkest times of my life. Our breaths were heavy as our lips parted. I looked at every inch of her face, still in disbelief. My hand was still cradling her face as my thumb unconsciously traced her lips. My heart was still pounding as I craved her more. It felt like we were the only people in the world at the time. Nothing else mattered except our feelings for one another. I realized then that I would go to any lengths for her. I would fight for her, protect her, and cherish her with all my might. "Are you just going to stare at me all day?" she asked, breaking the silence as she looked at me in the eyes. "Let's get this through together," I said as I shook my head and drew her closer, wra
It was not so easy to clear up the issue if it wasn't for my friends' and my wife's help; I did prepare all the proof that Tiffany and I never had an affair, at least during Laia and my marriage, and that the child was not mine, but to my surprise, my friends' and my wife's help helped me clear up my name. "My wife and I were overly saddened because of the allegations that had been circulating over the past few days, especially during this period when we were still mourning the loss of our own child, Luas," I sighed, trembling despite trying my best to calm myself in front of everyone. Laia stroked my back as she added, "We will not tolerate such actions; therefore, we are announcing that we will press charges against those who release news spreading lies over the media." "Ma'am, do you have any proof that the news regarding your husband is just a hoax?" a male reporter asked eagerly. "We do, and we will show it at court," Laia replied. "Would
Laia's POVIt hasn't been all that long since Az and I began running a new firm with the aid of his pals, but I was relieved to find that his business acumen is far above what I had anticipated.I turned to my secretary as we were both watching the livestream of the debut of our project and asked, "Can you recommend a decent gift for a man?"She grinned and asked, "Is it for Mr. Elrod?"Seeing her smile made me realize that our employees had never seen me act affectionately toward my husband, despite how sweet he is to me. I just don't feel comfortable showing off our relationship to others.I nodded and said, "What do you typically get your boyfriend?" As I felt my cheeks sting with embarrassment, I turned away."I'm not sure what the boss loves, but I normally get my boyfriend a pricey collection of anime figures as a gift because he enjoys watching anime," she retorted.I paused to consider my husband'
It's been a day since my wife disappeared, and we received reports that the kidnappers took her while she was shopping alone. I had no idea why she went out alone, and I felt so frustrated and helpless that I lost my appetite as we kept on searching for her whereabouts. According to the witnesses, the kidnappers took my wife in a white van that left immediately after capturing her. "Az, you need to take a break; you haven't eaten even just a bit," Carlo suggested with a tone of worry. "I can't stop until I can find my wife," I replied as I looked through the reports that the investigators sent to me. "It would be better to take a break for a bit; this is not good for your health," Eric added as he took some papers from my desk. "Don't worry too much; I already begged my father to help us find your wife—I'm sure we'll hear some good news soon," John reassured as he walked back and forth while looking through his phone, exhausting all his resources to help out. "How can I rest while
Mr. Moretti looked at us in amusement after hearing Carlo's words. "That's quite interesting—the HexPhantom offering his service to the underground organization," he chuckled."I believe you already know my capabilities, so I will not further discuss the kind of service I can provide for your organization," Carlo replied confidently.I was so confused due to the sudden change of tone from my friend to Mr. Moretti—it was as if he were a different person in front of me. "I know, we have been recruiting you ages ago, but if we help you deal with the Black Panthers, we may lose more than we can gain," he replied with a serious tone."I'll give you ownership of the current company we built; the project recently succeeded, and it's only a matter of time before we can earn a huge sum," I offered despite hesitation, thinking I was ready to give up everything for my wife's safety."I am now quite unsure of your business management ability; I have no idea why Mr. Dominique trusted his companies
Carlo's words weighed so much on my mind, making me able to gather all my thoughts. I was able to successfully collect the sum sought by the kidnappers in a short time with the support of our friends and family. I felt grateful yet scared since almost nothing was left of our assets. I knew we would have a hard time due to poverty after this incident, but saving my wife's life is more important than any leisure or comfort.As we were planning how to save my wife in Mr. Moretti's office, I received a call from my dad asking me to fetch Sienna on their behalf. My mom suddenly fainted due to worry and was unconscious at the hospital. I felt the gravity of the situation crashing over me again as I faltered and stumbled to the ground.I'm not the only one who is in pain. Even my parents and friends are trying their best to assist me—I must remain strong.I felt dizzy as my sight grew dim. I haven't had a good rest these past few days, which has taken a toll on my body."Dude!" John jolted in