(Allison's POV) I thought about it all night, and I finally decided to give Scott a chance to be a father to Liam. However, I wasn’t going to tell my aunt or my brother about it. They both loathed Scott, and I didn't want my brother to know I had lied to him. This wasn’t for me—it was for Liam. He deserved to know his father, even if I couldn't fully reconcile my feelings with Scott. I had denied Liam the privilege of knowing his father, and that wasn’t fair to him. He didn't know about my past with Scott, and I wouldn’t let him suffer because of it. As for Scott, there was no way I would accept him back into my life. He was going to be Liam’s father, and that was it. I would have considered letting him back into my life if he had shattered my heart because he had an illness he didn't want to share with me, because he didn’t want me to worry. I would have understood that. But since it was for money and power that he exchanged for my love, I couldn’t understand him, nor could I forgi
(Allison's POV) I was in the kitchen, busy preparing lunch for Liam, when the doorbell rang. It was Sunday—a day I could spend quality time with my son before diving back into the chaos of work on Monday. Wiping my hands on my apron, I removed it, draped it over a chair, and headed to answer the door. It was Scott. He stood on my porch, his arms laden with brightly colored gift bags. I furrowed my brows in confusion, my gaze flitting between him and the mountain of toys he carried. "Hi, Allie," he greeted, flashing his signature smile that showcased those infuriatingly perfect dimples. His dark brown hair fell loosely over his forehead, giving him an almost boyish charm. Despite the years, he looked ageless, like a vampire forever trapped in his prime. "Allie?" he repeated, pulling me from my thoughts. I blinked and cleared my throat, trying to mask how flustered I felt. "Why did you bring so many gifts?" I asked, my tone sharp enough to keep my guard up. "I wasn’t sur
(Allison's POV) "Really? Your mummy said that?" Scott asked with a smile, and Liam nodded his head. "Yes. She told me you're a good person and that you love her, so—" Before Liam could complete his words, I gently pulled him away from Scott, faking a laugh. I crouched to his height and ruffled his hair gently. "Since when did you become a chatterbox?" I asked. "I was only telling Daddy what you said. Are you mad at me?" Liam asked in a low voice. "No, Mummy isn't mad at you, but you should only answer questions you're being asked, okay?" I said, trying my best to avoid making eye contact with Scott. "Okay, Mummy. I will keep that in mind," he grinned and rushed over to Scott, holding his hand. "You love my Mummy, right?" "Liam!" I called out his name. Here I thought he had listened to me, but he was still repeating those words to Scott. I felt so embarrassed. If I had known Liam was going to snitch on me, I wouldn't have said a word to him. But then again, he didn't
(Scott’s POV) I leaned closer to kiss Allison. I’d been longing to feel her soft lips against mine again, to lose myself in the familiar sensation of devouring and sucking her lips just as I used to. It had been far too long, and my heart raced at the possibility. I wasn’t sure how she’d react—whether she’d get mad or allow it—but when she slowly closed her eyes, it felt like permission. My hand slid to her waist, gently pulling her closer. Her warmth pressed against me, and for a moment, it felt as though everything was falling back into place. As I lowered my head, our lips barely touched before Allison’s eyes shot open, and she quickly pushed me away. “Liam must be waiting for you. You should go to him,” she said, her voice composed but distant. She avoided looking at me, her eyes darting elsewhere like they couldn’t bear to meet mine. She had been doing that ever since I arrived—keeping her distance, evading any moment of connection. “I’ll be in my room. Call me when you’r
(Scott's POV) After successfully deleting Stefan's message, I carefully placed the phone back on the sofa before sinking into the couch. What I did was completely wrong, but jealousy consumed me. I want to rebuild my life with Allison, and Stefan feels like an obstacle in my reconciliation with her—especially since he’s her fiancé. "Here’s your coffee," Allison’s voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up at her and managed a nervous smile, guilt gnawing at me. "Thanks, Allie." "Don’t thank me. Drink it and go home," she said, her tone sharp. "Why do you want me to leave so quickly?" "You’re only here because of Liam, remember?" "Can’t we at least talk for a little while?" I asked, my voice low, almost pleading. "Talk about what, exactly?" she shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anything... anything at all. I just don’t want to go home yet." "I’m sure your girlfriend Jenna is waiting for you at home. You should go to her," Allison replied, turning her back to me. S
(Allison's POV)"Mummy, when is Daddy coming to see me?" Liam asked as I prepared him for school."Do you miss him already?" I asked with a smile, though it didn’t quite reach my eyes. I didn’t want my son to find out what was going on between his dad and me. It would break his heart to know that his parents weren’t getting along.I knew how that felt because I used to be a kid too. Anytime my parents fought or threatened to divorce, my heart sank in sadness. They might have been wonderful parents to both Alex and I, but they always fought—almost every day. Being the eldest, I would always cover Alex's ears so he wouldn’t hear their arguments.I didn’t want my son to experience what I went through as a child, and that’s why I was determined to try my best to put up with Scott. But I wouldn’t consider his pleadings from last night."Mummy," Liam tapped me."Yes, son?""Have you been listening to me?" he asked, and I cupped his face gently."Sorry, Liam. Mummy was absent-minded for a mo
(Allison's POV) I sat down in the restaurant, patiently waiting for Naomi Holt to arrive. I had booked a VIP area because her fans might go crazy upon seeing her. But as I waited, my mind kept drifting back to Stefan's words. No doubt, he had been patiently waiting for me to love him. He’d done everything possible to show me his sincere feelings, convincing me that he was the right man for me. But could he really be my Mr. Right? "I still love you so much, Allie," Scott’s words surged through my mind. I immediately gulped down the wine in front of me, desperately trying to push both Stefan and Scott from my thoughts. Just as my mind threatened to overwhelm me, Naomi stepped in at the perfect moment, distracting me from the chaos in my head. "You must be Allison McCall, right?" she asked, removing her sunglasses with a gracious smile. She wasn’t a famous model for no reason. I stood up and extended my hand. "Yes, I’m Allison McCall, owner of Allison Clothing Line," I said, try
(Scott's POV) "Daddy!" Liam ran toward me, his little arms outstretched, when he realized I was the one at the door. I had just finished my meeting with a client, and I couldn't wait to see him. The meeting had dragged on longer than I anticipated, but I rushed over the moment I could, with the added excuse of wanting to see Allison too. "Where's your Mummy?" I asked as I scooped him up into my arms, feeling the warmth of his small body against mine. Before Liam could respond, Allison approached us. "Liam, I thought I told you never to open the door on your own," she said, her tone firm yet caring. She definitely fit the role of a mother. Six years ago, with her cute and innocent demeanor, it would’ve been hard to believe she could take on such a responsibility. But damn, she nailed it. "I'm sorry, Mummy," Liam quickly apologized. "You told me Daddy was coming, so that's why I opened the door when I heard the bell ring." "Even so, Liam," Allison said softly but firmly, "Yo
(Writer's POV) Gwen angrily walked into Hugo's study room and dropped a letter for him on the table. "What's this?" he asked. "It's a letter from the court. Scott is pushing through with the case. If Jason is taken to court, we're going to lose because all the evidence about what he did is on Clara's body. We need to do something about this, Hugo!" Gwen said loudly. "I'm trying." "No, you're not! If you're trying like you said, my son wouldn't still be in jail! He's crying every day. My son has lost so much weight! This is all your fault! If you hadn't had a one-night stand with a woman, Scott wouldn't have come into existence!" she spat. "Can you stop? It's already in the past. I don't acknowledge him as my son. Isn't that enough for you?" Hugo questioned. "No! It's not enough for me, Hugo! All I want is for you to get my son out of jail and make sure he doesn't appear in court. Speak sense into Scott, make him do what you want! You've always been good at that!" "That was six
(Writer's POV) Skye's eyes widened in shock as Alex kissed her. She hadn't seen it coming—not after how he had rejected her. She got her thoughts straight, and just when she was about to kiss him back, Alex broke the kiss. Realizing what he had just done, he ran his hands through his hair. "Why did you kiss me, Alex?" Skye asked with a smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kiss you, Skye. I'm so sorry," he apologized, and the smile on her face turned into sadness. "What do you mean you didn't mean to kiss me? You kissed me out of the blue, so what the heck are you saying, Alex?" Skye asked, her voice strained. She thought the kiss meant something to Alex. She had hoped maybe he was finally starting to like her and that was why he kissed her—only for her hopes to be crushed by his apology. "I wasn't thinking when I kissed you." "I still don't understand you, Alex." "I'm sorry, Skye. I shouldn't have kissed you out of the blue. I just had a misunderstanding with the woman I love,
(Writer's POV) Alex pushed his luggage into the condo with a smile on his face. He had just moved into the condo he rented. It was a small apartment, but it was enough since he'd be the only one living in it. "It just needs a little fixing, and it will be perfect," he smiled to himself. Just when he was about to get to work, the doorbell rang. "Is Allison here already?" he muttered, then went to open the door. To his surprise, it turned out to be Bonnie. "Congratulations, Alex!" she exclaimed, spraying confetti on him. "Bonnie? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see her at his doorstep. "Can you let me in first?" she grinned. Alex moved aside so she could enter. "Whoa! The apartment looks nice," Bonnie complimented, her eyes moving around. "You're already inside. Can you answer my question? Allison was supposed to be here." "I know. But she had a lot of work at the company, so she’s taking care of it. I volunteered to come help you settle in," Bonnie
(Scott's POV) "What happened?" Allison asked when I approached her with a frown on my face. "It's nothing," I replied, forcing out a smile. "I don't believe there's nothing, Scott. I know when you're faking a smile and when you're truly smiling," she stated. "You know me so well, Allie," I said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "Yeah, I do. I don't want to say this, but..." she hesitated before continuing. "You used to be my boyfriend." I smiled at her words. Once I gained her family's forgiveness, being her boyfriend would be a thing of the past because I was going to marry her ASAP. "So what happened in here?" she pressed on. "Nothing much. It's just Jason being annoying," I said, leaving out the part where he had threatened to endanger her life. I didn’t want her to feel unsafe. I didn't just have a family that didn't love me, I also had a messed-up family. "You shouldn't let him get to you, Scott," she said, tapping my shoulder with a smile, though sh
(Scott's POV) For the very first time, Allison and I finally got to talk properly. I hope she understands me after explaining myself to her last night. I know my actions weren’t justified, but I hope she sees things from my point of view. Cutting ties in California was the only option I had to make it in life. I came out of my room and went downstairs. A smile surged through me when I saw Allison feeding Liam. He was ready for school. "Come on Liam, you need to eat some more," she pleaded. "I don't want to eat, Mummy," Liam shook his head. "You just ate two spoons of macaroni. How can you be full?" she pouted, making me smile. "I don't want to eat, Mummy," Liam repeated, shaking his head again. "Liam, you should eat, or your Mummy will get sad," I said, making my presence known. "Daddy!" Liam exclaimed excitedly. He jumped down from the chair and rushed toward me. I scooped him up from the ground. "Good morning, Daddy," he grinned. "How was your night?" I asked
(Allison's POV) "What happened at the hospital?" I asked Scott, offering him a glass of water. He accepted it but didn't drink much from it. He was sitting in the dining room, so I sat two chairs away from him, staring at his wet eyes. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about him. "What happened? Did something happen to any of your family members?" I asked. I didn't know any of his family members because Scott had been discreet about it even while we were dating. "I don't want to talk about it, Allie," he sniffled. "And you think I'd just accept it like that? You came home looking sad. You don't expect me to keep silent about it." "Where's Liam?" he asked. "He's already sleeping. But don't try to change the topic, Scott. What happened? You know me—I won't stop asking until you give me answers," I demanded, and he smiled warmly at me. "Of course, I know you, Allie. I dated you, remember? You've always been persistent," he smiled again, those dimples of his ap
(Scott's POV) "Are you alright?" I asked Peter, who wouldn't stop glancing at his phone with a sad face. "Yeah... I'm fine. Why do you ask?" he stuttered. "Your eyes have been on your phone, and it looks like you're on the brink of crying. Are you and Bonnie having misunderstandings?" I questioned again, remembering the couple of times Allison and I had a little misunderstanding during our dating era. She might have been the clingy type of girlfriend, but when it came to keeping malice, she was very good at it. So I was always the one who took the first step to apologize to her, whether I was wrong or not. "Not at all, boss. Bonnie and I are cool," he responded, returning to his phone. "You love Bonnie, right?" I asked, and he gave me a questionable look. "Why do you ask, boss?" I stared at him, recalling when I met him with a man he introduced to me as his friend. The man had kissed him, and the way they interacted didn't seem like they were just friends. It had bee
(Writer's POV) Music echoed loudly in the background as Jason partied like it was the last day of his life. He was drinking and smoking nonstop while rocking on the butts of two women who kept him entertained. He had just hosted a party and had invited his friends, who were just like him. They tended to lavish their money on women and parties since they weren't the ones who had to work hard for it. "You're the real deal, Jason Stiles!" his friends showered him with praises as he threw money into the air like he was pouring champagne. He was in his late thirties, but he still hadn't learned to think for himself because his mother always supported him, even when he was in the wrong. Reasonable men his age had already started families of their own and built businesses, but that life wasn't for Jason. He preferred wasting money on women and hosting parties. He believed that he didn't need to work since he was the eldest son of the Stiles family and the favorite son of Hugo Sti
(Allison's POV) "What! You're getting your own condo?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise after Alex declared his decision to me. His graduation was a huge success, and he was thrilled with the surprise we gave him. Scott had attended, but Alex and Aunt Hilda didn't pay much attention to him, though they acknowledged him a little because Liam had been present. "Yes, sis. I've been planning this for a long time—to get my own condo after graduation," Alex replied. "Where did you get the money to rent a condo?" I asked again. "I had a lot of part-time jobs while I was still in school. My savings are enough to rent a small apartment." "You were working part-time behind my back? I told you to focus on school, not get a job!" I scolded. "It's all in the past now, sis. Besides, my part-time jobs didn't affect my studies. I graduated with a first-class upper, remember?" he remarked. "Even so, Alex, if I had known you were working while studying, I wouldn't have allowed it.