THREE YEARS LATERRyan’s POV"Have you sent the essential documents to Velasquez? If you haven't, I want you to be fast with it," I barked into the intercom, at my new secretary before hanging up, and reclining against the swivel chair.Alvin had resigned some years ago, to further his studies in Italy while Daphne had gotten married, and had also moved to Japan with her husband. It was as if everything in my life suddenly went upside down ever since the day I committed a heinous crime against Ophelia.Ah, Ophelia. Not a single day goes by that her pretty smile doesn't find a way to slip into my thoughts.I missed her. I knew I didn't deserve to think up such a hypocritical thought after everything I did to her.I sighed miserably as I shook my head to enable my utmost concentration. I had to review some proposals and financial reports.Ever since the day Ophelia left my life, I immersed myself in a great deal of work, and on rare occasions when I wasn't working, I'd drive to a club f
Ophelia’s POV THREE YEARS LATERI hummed to myself as I sauteed the vegetables in the saucepan. I slightly drew back as the oil from the pan spritzed toward me."Miss Ophelia," One of my assistants, Isabelle, called me, and I tilted my neck toward her, "Yes?""The couple on table four have placed their orders. They want their usuals, baked flounder with lemon and butter," She recited from the sticky note in her hand.I nodded, "Okay, it will be ready soon,""That's great," She said before trekking out of the kitchen.I got to work after I dished out the flambeed vegetables from the pan, and set them on a plate.In a matter of minutes, I was done with the order. I set it on the serving table, took off my apron, cap, mask and gloves with a tired sighI loved being a chef. I mean, I sacrificed a part of me to achieve my dreams but nobody warned me about how stressful the job was, and how rude some customers could be.My assistant strolled in with an empty tray and a disheveled appearanc
Ryan’s POV I groaned as I massaged my temple to relieve the throbbing I felt at my secretary, James' news."You should have informed me earlier, James. What if I had a prior appointment?" I scolded him.It took everything in me to stay reasonable and not flare up at him through the phone. He just called to give me the news that he was admitted to the hospital, and was diagnosed with appendicitis which needed to be removed as soon as possible.I couldn't get mad at him as I considered his health."I'm sorry for the inconvenience, sir. Please forgive me," He said, to which I sighed deeply."It's fine. Don't worry about it, just focus on getting well. I'll go in your place, I'm hanging up," I replied before I ended the call. Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, I dialed Damon's number, and almost instantly, he answered the call."Good day, sir," He greeted."Good day. I'm going to an emergency summit in London. Get my suitcase, travel documents, range rover, and the private jet re
Ophelia’s POV "Come by soon with your adorable toddler," The ice cream stand attendant said to me as she handed me two ice cream cones.I smiled at her and nodded, "Sure, I will. Thanks again," "You're welcome," She smiled back, and I left the ice cream shop.I turned towards the bench in front of the ice cream shop with a smile that dissipated off my face instantly when I didn't see Jeremy sitting there.I glanced wildly around as I jogged away from the shop."Jeremy! Where are you?" I yelled, looking around, with tears blurring my vision.Anxiety blossomed in me when I got no response and still didn't see him.I knew I had to be strong and look for him but I was already starting to overthink the worst possible occurrence that could happen.I couldn't lose my baby. He meant the whole world to me."Hey, excuse me," I waved at a couple before I sprinted up to them.They exchanged glances with each other before they gazed weirdly at me, "Hi,""I'm sorry for bothering you. I'm looking
Ryan’s POV "Mister?" The toddler called, swinging his legs.I chuckled at his adorable antics and ruffled his soft hair once more."Yes," I answered, smiling down at him."My name is Jerymee. What's your name?" He asked, staring up at me."Oh. I can't believe I forgot to tell you my name. My name is Ryan. It's nice to meet you, Jeremy," I stretched a hand to him.He gazed down at my hand with confusion etched onto his adorable face before he understood, and took my hand in his tiny one.Fuck, everything about this toddler was just so small and cute. He looked so fluffy and cuddly too but I didn't want to act like a creep by randomly hugging him.So I ignored the weird string drawing me to him."Your name sounds cool, Mister Lion. I want my name to be cool too," He pouted sadly, which made me feel bad for having a “cool” name."I think your name is very cool, Jeremy. Mine is boring as fuck," I said, trying to console him.I was perplexed when he started giggling, "You said a bad word,
Ophelia’s POV "I can explain, please calm down and listen to me," Ryan said, but I wasn't having any of his bullshit."I just asked you a fucking question, Ryan. Why the hell are you here? Are you stalking me now? Is that it? You failed to kill me in Texas, so you're here to finish the job, hmm?" I hollered at Ryan, backing away from him as he reached over to touch me."Bab-Ophelia, please calm down. I had no idea you stayed in London. I came here for a seminar, I swear. I would never do something as shallow as stalking you," He uttered, to which I scoffed."Mummy, do you know the staingrass?" Jeremy tugged my arm, causing me to tilt my head sideways.I darted a smile at him, rubbed his head, and shook my head in negation, "No, my love. I don't know him,""But you said a bad word to him and you called his name. His name is Lion and you said it just now. Are you lying, mummy?" Jeremy pushed further which made me sigh in exasperation."I'm serious. I don't know him," I lied through my
Ryan’s POV "Hey, man. How was the seminar?" Vegas asked, and immediately he answered the call."It was the same as every seminar I've attended," I huffed and shook my head before I remembered the reason I called him."Vegas, I found Ophelia," I whispered as I scrubbed a hand over my face."Don't play with me, man. Be serious," Vegas replied with an underlying tone of disbelief."I'm serious, bro. I found her after all these years. You remember when I called you yesterday that I was bored, and wanted to go somewhere to unwind?" I reminded him."Yeah, I do,""I decided to go for a walk, and I saw this amusement park on the way, so I decided to stop by and just you know, see people or something," I gruffed, trying to sound nonchalant."Go on,""I met this adorable toddler, he told me he was waiting for his mum. Long story cut short, Ophelia was the toddler's mum," I explained, chuckling bitterly when I heard a choked gasp from the other end."No fucking way!" Vegas shrieked."Yes fuckin
Ophelia’s POV I was jolted out of my siesta by my phone vibrating against the nightstand with an incoming call.I grumbled as I gently disengaged myself from Jeremy's vice grip before I retrieved the offending device and answered the call without glancing at the caller id."Who's this?" I mumbled, scrubbing a hand over my face to clear the lingering bits of sleep in my eyes."Hi, babe. I'm sorry I haven't called you in a while," Ava said, which made me sit up properly and rest against the headboard.I yawned, "Nah, it's fine, babe. How's work and how's everything over there?" "Fine, fine. I have an off day today. So, I can stay on the phone for as long as I want," She squealed, to which I giggled."Oh, really?""Yup. Can we FaceTime or are you busy with something? It's been a while since I last saw my nephew, and I want to see him," She said, which made me sigh."Sure, let's do that. I'm not busy, I don't have work today. I had to call in sick because Jeremy suddenly started throwin
Ophelia's POV"Be a good boy for Miss Daphne, okay? If she tells me otherwise, I won't get you the spider-man boots anymore, okay?" I instructed, crouching down to Jeremy's height, and straightening the collars of his t-shirt."Yes, mommy," Jeremy nodded before he threw his arms around me in a warm hug."Take care, baby," I muttered after we disengaged from the hug."Yes, mommy. Bye," He waved cheerfully, slipping his hand into Daphne's."Daphne, thanks for this. Please don't forget to give me a call if he gets too much, and I'll come pick him up immediately," I said, to which Daphne smiled."Okay, Lia. I have heard you. We'll be on our way now," She waved at me before hoisting Jeremy to her waist.I watched their retreating figures until it disappeared before I headed back to my place. Daphne had offered to take Jeremy to her son's place that morning. She had a grandchild who was the same age as Jeremy, so I had accepted her offer. I wanted Jeremy to play with people his age. I didn
Ryan's POV"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. From this moment onward, I will be the new president of the branch here, and I hope we all get along throughout the duration of my stay," I uttered to the shareholders who were sat on the same table with me in the conference room."We hope so, too. It's a pleasure having you here," The vice president replied with a nod which I mirrored.Afterward, I stood up from my seat, and they all followed suit. Then, I headed to my new office.The company's branch in London was significantly smaller than the head branch at Texas. But regardless of that, I still looked forward to working there."I have no meeting left to attend today, right?" I asked my secretary, and she shook her head in affirmation."Perfect," I mumbled, hoisting myself up from the chair to grab my coat and briefcase."I'll see you tomorrow then," I said as I draped my coat on.She nodded, "Alright, sir. Goodbye,"Then, I headed to the parking lot. It had been two weeks since I moved
Ophelia’s POV "Woah, hold on. Wait a minute, what are you saying? Ryan said what?" Ava screeched loudly from the other end of the phone.I sighed miserably to myself as I rinsed my hands clean in the sink, freshened up my makeup, before I grabbed my bag and phone."You heard me, babe. Ryan found out he's Jeremy's dad, and now, he's threatening to take my baby away from me," I muttered as I trekked out of the bathroom to pick Jeremy up from kindergarten.Usually, Daphne always helped me with picking Jeremy up, and taking him to her condo pending the time I'd get back from work. But that day, my paranoia and overthinking got the best of me.I almost stopped Jeremy from boarding the bus when it arrived at the bus stop earlier that morning because I was scared. I was scared of Ryan or anyone taking my ball of sunshine away from me."He won't dare. What the hell? I thought he said he changed. Who the fuck goes around threatening the estranged mother of their child that they'd take their b
Ryan’s POV "I know, Ophelia. I am Jeremy's dad. You don't need to keep hiding it from me anymore," I uttered to Ophelia as I stared down at her, with a sinister smile curving my lips upward.She seemed horrified as her mouth faltered and opened before it immediately flapped shut. She couldn't meet my gaze, and her breathing rate fastened.I quickly shuffled back to give her some space to process everything I just said. Thankfully, her breathing rate stabilized and she glared up at me."What do you mean you're Jeremy's dad? What gives you the audacity to make that sort of a baseless statement?" She spat, her glare faltering when I didn't back down, and instead fixated my gaze on her.I laughed mirthlessly and shook my head, "I know everything, Ophelia. I know more than you think I know. And overall, I know Jeremy is my son. I have eyes and ears everywhere, so of course I'd know that. I was waiting for you to tell me the truth, but it seemed that'd never happen, so I had to take the b
Ophelia’s POV I strolled through the hospital hallway with the bouquet of dahlias mixed with daisies clutched in my hand. "Room thirty one," I mumbled to myself as I gazed at the room number slates which were firmly glued to the doors.Soon, I got to room thirty one. I knocked gently and waited quietly for the inhabitant to usher me in."Is that Miss Ophelia? Please come in," Isabelle's voice came out in the form of a weak whisper and I smiled to myself before I pushed the door open, and quietly slammed it shut.I took in the sight of Isabelle lying on the bed, clutching her newborn in the small bundle, and nostalgia swept over me.I recalled the day I gave birth to Jeremy. No one was beside me while I pushed him out of me, nobody came to drop flowers and congratulate me at the hospital.I cried so hard for some weeks after I got home. It was after then that I decided to make friends with Daphne.Isabelle's situation was also similar to mine. But she was raped by her boyfriend, and
Ryan’s POV I stood at the center of my new condominium with a tired but accomplished smile rooted to my face as I nodded to myself.Damon's men had done a great job with the interior decorations. The place didn't look the slightest bit comfortable for me, given that I was used to living in my humongous yet lifeless mansion.I was slightly excited about living in a place without my helpers at my beck and call for the first time in my life. Everything I was doing was for Ophelia and Jeremy. I reassured myself as I grabbed the plastic bag containing two boxes of pizzas, a pack of banana milk, and a box of apple juice.Then, I headed out of my place to the elevator. I was going to visit my newest neighbor with some gifts.Moments later, I reached my neighbor's door which I knocked tenderly on. "Coming," I heard her tiny voice screech which made me chuckle fondly.I waited patiently by the door with the bag clasped tighter in my hand, and my heart beating rapidly with nervousness.Short
Ophelia’s POV I trekked through the condominium gates with my brows furrowed in confusion as I stared at the moving trucks that were parked inside the vast compound with some men who were professionally clad in black suits clustered around it.The image of the various bulky men in suits brought an offensive image of Ryan's mansion to my mind which I immediately shrugged off before I walked past them, deciding to ignore them and their commotion.I walked into the elevator with a sigh, stared down at my wristwatch, and palmed my forehead as I felt the painful throbbing of an impending migraine.I had been working quite late recently at the restaurant to prevent my mind from straying away from a certain grey-eyed monster. With a smile, I knocked gently on Daphne's door and tightened my clutch on the package in my other hand.Moments later, she opened it with a grin. My smile turned wan when I didn't see Jeremy bolting past her to hug me."Hi, Daphne," I greeted as she widened her door
Ryan’s POV I sighed deeply as I scribbled my signature on the paperwork in front of me, even though my mind was far away from my body.It had been two weeks since I asked Damon to find out about Ophelia's partner and the father of her son, but I hadn't received any helpful leads yet from Damon.I was gradually starting to accept my fate and that Ophelia would never be mine in this universe. I was about to take a long puff of the vape that was enclosed in between my fingers when I heard a knock on the door."Come in," I grumbled, easing the vape back on the desk.Damon marched in with a brown envelope. He bowed before handing me the envelope, "You have to see this, sir,"I frowned but collected the envelope from him regardless, "What's this?""The true identity of the man who impregnated Ophelia," He revealed, motioning to the envelope.My eyes doubled in surprise as I stared at the envelope, "Really? Are you sure of what you're saying?""Yes, sir,""So, is she married?" I asked, tear
Ophelia’s POV I was jolted out of my siesta by my phone vibrating against the nightstand with an incoming call.I grumbled as I gently disengaged myself from Jeremy's vice grip before I retrieved the offending device and answered the call without glancing at the caller id."Who's this?" I mumbled, scrubbing a hand over my face to clear the lingering bits of sleep in my eyes."Hi, babe. I'm sorry I haven't called you in a while," Ava said, which made me sit up properly and rest against the headboard.I yawned, "Nah, it's fine, babe. How's work and how's everything over there?" "Fine, fine. I have an off day today. So, I can stay on the phone for as long as I want," She squealed, to which I giggled."Oh, really?""Yup. Can we FaceTime or are you busy with something? It's been a while since I last saw my nephew, and I want to see him," She said, which made me sigh."Sure, let's do that. I'm not busy, I don't have work today. I had to call in sick because Jeremy suddenly started throwin