Micheal stood rigid, his jaw clenched as he stared down his mother. "Mrs. Langston, I have said my piece. I do not care about the past. Lily and Jack are my children, and I do not require your help in securing a future for them. I can do that with or without the Langston group. Don't tempt me, Mother. I've reached my limit of tolerating you." His voice, low and unwavering, echoed through the room like a final verdict.He turned on his heel and strode out, his steps measured, controlled—a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside him. For a fleeting moment, Mrs. Langston caught a glimpse of the man her son had become: a father, a protector, someone no longer willing to bend to the will of the Langston legacy.Mrs. Langston's face hardened as the door closed behind Micheal. Her hands, clasped tightly in front of her, trembled with barely contained rage. This was not the obedient son she had raised, the one who was supposed to safeguard the family's legacy. No, this was a man who dared
Micheal walked towards Yvonne sitting on the couch, clearly waiting for him. As he took his seat beside her, he asked, "Why are you still awake? And how did the kids behave while I was away?"Yvonne let out a sigh, her expression a mix of exhaustion and amusement. "Oh, Micheal, the kids… they were something tonight. I don't know where their energy came from." She shook her head, unable to hold back a small laugh. "I should probably tell you about the… incident." Yvonne said with a dramatic expression. Micheal raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Incident?""Yes," Yvonne began, trying to find the right words. "So, there was this room in the apartment—one that looked like it was set up for a honeymoon or something. The master bedroom apparently. Rose petals everywhere, dim lighting, candles, and... other things." She glanced at him, her face a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "It was beautiful but also… well, very private, very adult."Micheal’s eyes widened slightly. "Okay… and?" He said
“And you’ve changed your mind?” Yvonne asked, struggling to hold his gaze. She wanted to study his expression, to read the emotions that words sometimes failed to convey.Micheal remained silent for a moment, his eyes searching hers before letting out a deep sigh. He looked ready to speak, but his hesitation felt like a heavy silence to Yvonne.She took it as a sign. She had spent over four years pretending not to notice when she wasn't cared for, and she wasn’t about to build another relationship on similar terms with Micheal. The curiosity about his gift still lingered, but she was prepared to let it go if he was uncertain.Yvonne felt a sting of embarrassment that he had overheard her conversation with Amy, though she didn’t know Micheal had only caught part of it before leaving her room. “It’s okay, Micheal. I understand,” she said quietly and stood up, ready to retreat to one of the many rooms in the luxurious place someone who claimed to be just a driver had effortlessly arrange
Micheal wasn’t sure how he managed to find an empty room amid the noise in his head. His mind was a chaotic whirlwind of disbelief and regret."You just had to lose your mind and confess to her. And then what? You made it seem unimportant!"He had been a man of control all his life. Even when his parents tried to make decisions for him, he was always one step ahead, secretly planning his own path. But ever since Yvonne came into his life, he had lost that firm grip on his emotions. Her presence seemed to unravel him in ways he never anticipated.Yvonne had been hurt before; he knew that much. He had to be careful around her, but he found himself constantly questioning what constituted ‘careful’ and when it crossed the line into 'too much.' He was unsure of the balance between showing her he cared and giving her the space she might need.Earlier at the beach, he had exercised every ounce of self-control. Her body had mesmerized him, but half his mind was focused on his children, who we
Micheal, Yvonne, and the twins finally returned to their home apartment. The children wore expressions of clear discontent, their small feet shuffling across the floor in slow, reluctant steps. The reason was simple: they were going back to the routine of separate rooms. It was as if the magic of their week together—their shared space, their closeness—was being erased, and neither of them wanted that.The week they'd spent together had been blissful, a glimpse of the family they'd all longed for. Micheal had smiled more than ever, and not just at them. Yvonne, who had embraced her role with a tenderness that enveloped the twins, had become more than just “Mommy”—she was their safe harbor, her warmth and love woven into every gesture. Now, the children feared that being apart, even in separate rooms, might unravel all that progress.“Daddy, can't we stay in our room or mommy's room? Any of it is fine, but we have to stay together,” Lily pleaded, her voice small but heavy with emotion.
As soon as they stepped inside, Yvonne hurriedly turned to face Micheal. “We’re here, so start talking,” she said, her chest heaving with anxiety.It felt to Yvonne as if she was on the verge of losing the fragile happiness that had recently formed in her life. Micheal’s calm expression wasn’t helping, and her frustration only grew.“Calm down, Yvonne,” Micheal said softly, walking toward the couch. He sat down, Yvonne trailing behind him, her eyes locked on his.“Calm down?” she repeated, her voice shaking. “You say that, but all I know is that something serious happened and you’re acting like it’s no big deal!”Micheal gestured for her to sit beside him. “It was serious, yes. But Lily’s breathing stabilized, and she’s resting. You don’t need to keep worrying.”Yvonne’s brows furrowed in confusion. “And what caused her to pass out?” she demanded, almost sarcastically. His calmness was beginning to irritate her.Micheal’s eyes softened, and he sighed. “Lily has a heart condition. It’s
Micheal’s jaw tightened as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. Yvonne could sense the shift in his demeanor—he was about to tell her something that weighed heavily on him. The room felt quieter, as if even the air around them held its breath.“You wanted to know about Lily and Jack's mother,” he began, his voice low but steady. “Well, to understand that, you need to know about my family.”Yvonne nodded, her gaze locked on his face, bracing herself for what was to come.“I ran away from my family’s suffocating grip years ago,” he continued. “Their traditions, their expectations—it was like living with a noose around my neck. They had my whole life planned out from the moment I was born. Who I’d marry, how I’d run the family business, everything. So, I left. I needed to breathe, to figure out who I was outside of their control.”Yvonne’s brows furrowed as she listened, her heart aching for the man in front of her. She could see the pain and frustration etched in his ex
Micheal’s heart skips a bit at the weight of her words. He could feel it- this moment that hung between them, thick with emotions. “You don't?” He asked softly, as if needing to hear it again to be certain. Yvonne nodded meekly, her cheeks flushing, warmth creeping across her skin, betraying her vulnerability. The silence that followed was charged, their eyes locked, each breath shared between them. Time seemed to slow as they sat there tethered to the moment. Yvonne broke the stillness, her voice trembling. “Micheal I wasn't confused about the desire I sense from you. I was confused about myself….. I am broken Micheal and although I might seem like I have moved on, I'm terrified. I am afraid that one wrong move, one unintended mistake, will shatter me….. and destroy everything we have built.” Her voice cracked, the raw honesty of her confession filling the room. She swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling with every breath as she gathered the courage to continue. “I don't