The villa was quiet now, save for the soft murmur of conversation between Yvonne, Micheal, and Amy as they gathered near the front door. The night air was cool and crisp, and the sky was dotted with twinkling stars.“Thank you for today,” Amy said, wrapping Yvonne in a tight hug. “This was exactly what I needed—and I think your twins needed it, too.”Yvonne smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for her friend. “You’re always welcome here, Amy. Anytime.”Micheal shook Mark’s hand and gave Amy a nod of appreciation. “We’ll have to do this again soon. The twins are already planning their next adventure with Aunt Amy.” Micheal said, finding himself easing more to people than usual. Amy laughed softly, glancing at the twins, who were now half-asleep on the couch, their heads resting on each other’s shoulders. “I think I’ve been adopted,” she said with a grin.Yvonne and Micheal chuckled, their hearts full as they stood together on the porch, watching their friends drive off into the n
The early morning light streamed through the gauzy curtains, casting a warm, golden hue across the room. Yvonne stirred slowly, the softness of the mattress cradling her body. For a moment, she lay still, the events of the previous day floating dreamily in her mind. She wasn’t in her old apartment, and she wasn’t alone. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was Micheal’s face mere inches from hers. His dark brown eyes glimmered with a quiet warmth, and his lips curved into a soft, contented smile. He was awake, lying on his side with one arm tucked under his head, watching her as if nothing else in the world existed. “Good morning,” he whispered, his voice low and tender. Yvonne’s lips twitched into a lazy smile. “Were you watching me sleep?” she teased, her voice husky from sleep. Micheal chuckled, brushing a stray curl from her cheek. “Guilty. But in my defense, you look beautiful when you sleep. I couldn’t resist.” Yvonne rolled her eyes playfully, but her heart
The morning sunlight bathed the villa in a soft glow as Micheal led Yvonne down the winding staircase. Their hands were clasped, fingers interwoven as they descended the grand steps. Yvonne’s eyes roamed over every inch of the house that would now become their permanent residence—a place where memories would be made, challenges faced, and love nurtured.Micheal glanced down at her, his lips quirking into a fond smile. "Ready for the grand tour?"Yvonne smiled back, excitement fluttering in her chest. “Lead the way.”Micheal guided Yvonne through the first floor, which opened into a spacious living room with high ceilings. The walls were painted in soft cream hues, adorned with framed artwork, and plush armchairs were arranged around a stone fireplace. A grand piano stood near a bay window, hinting at the possibility of cozy evenings filled with music.“This will be the main gathering room,” Micheal said as they paused by the window. “The kids can practice their piano lessons here. I k
“I will never make you regret taking this step with me, baby.” Micheal said, his happiness overflowing. Yvonne smiled at him. “I know.” She said and shut her eyes as he pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you so much it's driving me insane.” He said against her skin before hugging her tightly.‘And I love you too, very much, I couldn't believe I am still capable of feeling this way’ Yvonne said in her mind but only hugged Micheal back.“Now let's take a look at the outside. You will love it.’Outside, Micheal guided her through the villa’s grounds, which stretched far beyond what Yvonne had imagined. They strolled through well-manicured gardens bursting with vibrant flowers, winding stone paths, and a small koi pond with colourful fish swimming lazily beneath the surface.“There’s a greenhouse too,” Micheal pointed out as they passed a glass structure filled with herbs and exotic plants. “The gardener told me he’d love your input if you have any favourite flowers or plants.”T
Micheal’s words hung in the air between them, and Yvonne stared at him, her heart racing with disbelief.“You met my father?” she whispered, her voice tinged with surprise and suspicion.Micheal gave a slow, affirming nod. Before she could fully process his admission, her mind spiraled into conclusions, and the words left her mouth in a rush.“So that’s why he came—because you threatened him?” she snapped, frustration bubbling to the surface. The thought that her father’s apology could have been coerced left her feeling raw. A part of her that was glad he felt sorry shattered.Micheal didn’t flinch at her accusation. Instead, he stepped closer and gently wrapped his arms around her. “Come here,” he murmured softly, holding her against his chest.His warmth, steady and grounding, fought against the storm of emotions swirling inside her. He guided her back into the building, where they sat together on the couch in the living room. Micheal tucked her against his side, rubbing soothing ci
It was a crisp, sunny afternoon as Yvonne stepped out of the car, smoothing the hem of her sleek, white dress. She adjusted the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and looked up at the towering Langston Enterprises building.This time, the place held a different meaning for her. Gone were the days of coming over with packed lunches for the ungrateful David, hoping to catch his attention between meetings. Now, she stood outside the same entrance as Mrs. Yvonne Langston—Micheal’s wife. There would be no guards turning her away, no whispers or sidelong glances mocking her presence.She inhaled deeply as the glass doors slid open, the click of her heels echoing on the polished marble floor.Yvonne was heading towards the reception desk when she saw a familiar figure glide into her path: Sammy, the woman David had left her for. Dressed in a tight red dress and a coat slung over one shoulder, Sammy’s gaze narrowed the instant she recognized Yvonne.Yvonne would have forgotten what Sammy
As soon as the elevator doors slid shut, the adrenaline drained from Yvonne’s body, leaving her shaky and overwhelmed. She pressed her back against the cold metal wall, her chest tightening with every breath. Her heart pounded relentlessly, and she clenched her fists to stop them from trembling.The encounter with Sammy had shaken her more than she cared to admit. The sudden violence, the sharp tug of her hair, the onlookers whose stares she could still feel—it was too much."Did I embarrass Micheal?" The thought gnawed at her, dragging her further into the spiral of worry. "What if word spreads? What if the employees saw everything and judged me? What if Sammy twists the story and make her a nuisance in front of the employees of the man she was supposed to lead beside?The familiar weight of overthinking settled heavily on her shoulders. She couldn’t bear the idea of being the cause of gossip in Micheal’s company lobby. He must have worked so hard to create a space of respect and pro
Yvonne sat on the plush leather chair near his desk, clutching her handbag tightly in her lap. The encounter with Sammy had unsettled her far more than she cared to admit, and now, with Micheal pacing the room, radiating fury, she felt a knot of guilt twist tighter in her stomach.She had insisted that nothing had happened and Micheal wasn't pleased at the guarded expression on Yvonne’s face.Micheal stopped in front of her once again, crouching to meet her gaze. His dark eyes softened for a moment, one large hand reaching up to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “Tell me everything please or I will launch an investigation and make sure whoever makes you work up will pay dearly. So last chance love, if you want them having it easier, tell me now. He urged gently, through a storm simmered beneath his calm exterior.Yvonne inhaled slowly, still hesitant to burden him with the confrontation. “It was nothing, Micheal. Just Sammy being… being an idiot, you know Sammy …. the g
Micheal hadn’t moved from the same spot in hours. He had just tucked the kids into bed and slipped quietly onto the terrace outside their room.The night was still. The air held a gentle chill, the kind that slipped beneath the skin and settled deep in the bones. Birds chirped softly in the distance, and the wind rustled the trees, but even that felt far away—like he was underwater, drowning in everything he wished he’d done differently.She was gone.Yvonne had left him.She hadn’t said much—her words were soft but sharp, laced with pain. He could still hear her voice, low and trembling: “You should’ve told me. All this time, you knew something, didn’t you?”He had tried to explain, to reach for her hand, but she’d pulled away. Her eyes, once filled with cautious affection, now brimmed with something heavier—betrayal.And just like that, the air had left the room.An hour later, he was back in his study.Micheal paced the floor barefoot, his shirt rumpled, sleeves rolled to his elbow
The quiet hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound that filled the room for a long while. Yvonne sat propped up against her pillows, a warm blanket tucked around her legs, and her mother seated close beside her on the edge of the bed. The soup bowl sat in Anna’s lap, and she offered spoonfuls to her daughter between soft words and careful glances.“To say your father is trying would be an understatement,” Anna said gently, brushing a stray curl from Yvonne’s cheek. “He’s doing everything in his power to hold himself together… and to redeem himself the only way he knows how.”Yvonne gave a soft nod, accepting the next spoonful.“David was arrested. But… they had to release him,” Anna continued with a sigh, her voice growing brittle. “There just wasn’t enough evidence. Not yet. But your father—he’s not letting this go. He’s digging. Talking to people. Trying to make something stick. He wants to see that man locked away.”Yvonne let out a breath, slow and even, the soup lingering on her
To say Yvonne was surprised to be carrying a child would be an understatement. She and Micheal had been wild when it came to intimacy.It was impossible to deny—she had gotten addicted to his touch, to that other side of him that contrasted so sharply with the calm, patient father and composed CEO he presented during the day.Micheal was a passionate man in many ways, and Yvonne had grown to crave them all. He was attentive, tender, yet strong—always able to meet her desire with a fire of his own. There wasn’t a single memory with him that left her feeling regret or discomfort. And yet, they had been careful.She always took the morning-after pill, even when he held her afterward and stroked her hair with words that left her heart warm and content. It never crosses her mind that their relationship is deep enough to hope for a child together, especially when their deal was nothing but a dignified nanny until the children’s love and affection changed that notion in her heart.She remem
Micheal’s mind churned as he replayed the grainy footage, his jaw clenched tight. The recovered videos from five years ago had given him something—but not enough. Not enough to piece together the full picture. Not enough to explain the nightmare that had haunted both him and Yvonne.In the feed, he could see himself staggering down a hotel corridor, disoriented, clearly intoxicated—or worse. He barely recognized the version of himself swaying, confused, squinting at the doors as if trying to find the room number he couldn't make out.Then she appeared.A woman stepped into frame, speaking to him softly. Her hand pointed at a specific room. Without hesitation, his silhouette obeyed, walking toward the door she’d indicated. She turned and walked away like her part had been played.At first, Micheal had been baffled. The footage stopped there—nothing out of the ordinary. But something didn’t sit right.Then it hit him.He rewound. Slowly. Frame by frame.And there she was again.Sammy.T
The house felt like a tomb. Silent, suffocating, and filled with ghosts of emotions Yvonne couldn’t name.She had locked herself in for days, refusing contact with the outside world. The mere thought of facing reality made her sick to her stomach—literally. Every meal her mother forced upon her barely made it past her throat before nausea clawed its way up, rejecting the sustenance she knew she needed.She was wasting away.Her reflection in the mirror had become a stranger—sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, a shadow of herself. And yet, she couldn't find it in her to care.Because how could she?How could she pretend to be okay when the one person she had given her trust—her safe place—was the very reason her world had collapsed?Michael.She had once whispered his name with reverence in her heart, with an aching sort of longing she never dared admit to him yet.Now?Now it felt like a curse.She should be grateful, right? Fate had played a cruel joke on her, but in the end, she hadn’t los
A few hours after David’s arrest—outside the police station.Sammy stood stiffly by the station’s entrance, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she watched the doors swing open. David stepped out, his expression set in a tight scowl, flanked by his lawyer.She had done all she could. After failing to secure help from the company’s legal team, she had arranged a private lawyer for him and stayed with him through the exhausting process. But it hadn’t changed much.Yvonne’s father had opened a case against David, and while there wasn’t enough physical evidence to detain him, the investigation was ongoing. David had been warned—he could be summoned at any time.Just as David took his first breath of fresh air, a furious voice cut through the tense atmosphere."You used my daughter."David barely had time to react before Yvonne’s father stormed toward him, each step fueled by pure rage. His cane tapped harshly against the pavement, his other hand pointing a trembling finger straight at
A lot had happened that day.Micheal had barely left the twins’ room when he received an urgent call from his personal assistant, Sandra. The moment he answered, her voice carried a mix of urgency and disbelief.“There’s chaos at the company, sir. Something big happened early this morning.”Micheal frowned, gripping his phone tighter. “What kind of chaos?”Sandra took a deep breath before delivering the bombshell.“It’s about David… He was arrested.”For a moment, Micheal said nothing, his mind processing the unexpected turn of events.Apparently, Yvonne’s father hadn’t been able to stomach the full scope of what his daughter had suffered. And unlike before—when he had turned his back on her—this time, he had taken action. He had wasted no time in seeking legal justice, making sure David paid for what he had put Yvonne through.The arrest had sent shockwaves through the company. Employees had been left speechless, watching in stunned silence as one of their highest-ranking executives
The Twins' Innocent ConfrontationAs soon as Micheal left the twins' room, Rebecca took a deep breath, regaining her composure. Now that she knew the truth, her purpose had shifted—this wasn’t just about being a temporary nanny anymore. She was genuinely ready to care for the children in Yvonne’s absence.With renewed confidence, she approached the twins, a warm smile gracing her lips."Let’s get you two ready for school."But the moment her words left her mouth, she noticed a familiar exchange of glances between Jack and Lily—silent yet unmistakably purposeful, like they were communicating without speaking.Then Jack turned his gaze to her, his small brows furrowed. His voice, though soft, carried an unmistakable weight of accusation."Why did you lie to Mommy?"Rebecca's heart skipped a beat. The innocent yet mature expression on their faces made her falter, the sheer seriousness of their demeanor contrasting with their adorable features.She swallowed, suddenly feeling exposed unde
A Father's RedemptionThe embrace lingered for a few precious moments, a silent exchange of love and reassurance before Micheal kissed the twins' foreheads. He pulled back gently, his hands cupping their small faces as he gazed into their wide, trusting eyes. Before speaking, he subtly wiped away the remnants of his tears, determined to steady himself."What I want you two to know is that your mother loves you so much," Micheal said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of his emotions. "She was super sad and sick when she thought she lost you two. So, have it in mind that she would never, under any circumstances, leave you again."Jack and Lily nodded, their tiny faces etched with a seriousness that melted Micheal’s heart. He would have smiled at their cuteness if not for the crushing despair that lingered in his chest. What he was about to say next mattered more than anything.He took a deep breath. "So, what I want to say is… if you two want to go to her now, she won’t say no. But