[ Sebestian ]"Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize sincerely for the inconvenience we caused you by calling you all on a short notice but we have something very important to discuss which couldn't wait." I addressed the room occupied with the board members, the Baxters and my family.The air was so thick with tension that it could be cut by a knife. Their curious but stone faces gave me no clue of what was going inside their brains. So, I had to be very careful with my vocabulary.Michael did a good job behind our backs."I beg your pardon, gentleman but before you start this meeting, we have something to say, we'll take only two minutes of your precious time." Micheal stood from his seat and shared a look with Victorine."What's going on here, would you care to explain?" Eddie, one of the oldest board member, narrowed his eyes at us. He literally seemed pissed off."Mr. Blackwood would explain us better." Micheal smirked at me cunningly, "But I have to say something first, gentleman."
[ Sebestian ]"Fuck! What have I done?" I clutched my hairs and processed what I declared during the meeting.I had to play a dirty game. I told those money minded leeches that I have a plan to creep my way into the inner system the Skylark Group.I'd never wish for what Charlotte earned by her hard work.It's her company. I'd not cast an eye on it even if I come on the streets but I had to buy some time so I could take over my company completely and send my parents back to our home town where they could spent a simple life without messing with our lives.A knock on the door put a halt on my thoughts."Come in." I said coldly.Jimmy walked inside with a bunch of files. He looked terrified."I strictly told you to keep all the business outside my office until my next order." I groaned at him."I..I..am sorry, Sir. It..couldn't wait." He stammered and with trembling hands, he placed the files on my desk."What are these?" I gave him a curt look."Your father, Senior Blackwood Sir sent t
[ Sebestian ] "Sebestian, I'm not doing all this by my own wish." She lowered her gaze. "What do you mean?" I scrunched my brows. "My Dad is forcing me in everything I did so far-" She paused and raised her face, her eyes were teary, "Including the pregnancy. You never touched me, even in your unconscious state. You stayed loyal to Charlotte because your heart belongs to her." I was shocked and confused simultaneously. The logical side of my brain warned me that it was a trap set by her and I should read the warning sign but the other part wanted to stay and listen her. "And why does he force you to conspire against me? Didn't you fear the consequences?" I raised my brow. "He always dreamed big, he molded me to become just like him, ambitious and selfish. When you divorced Charlotte, he saw this as an opportunity to creep his way into Blackwood family by hitching me with you. I have been avoiding this for years but now, his patience ran out. He wants me to trap you by hook or cro
[ Charlotte ]"Lottie, you're here at this hour?" Jonathan's sleepy eyes widened when he opened the door for me but realized his words later,"Sorry, it came out wrong, I didn't mean to question you. Please, come inside." He stepped aside to give me space.The warm atmosphere in his house comforted me."I'll make some hot coffee for you. Please make yourself comfortable here." He said softly to me and left.I felt relived that he didn't ask me the reason of my sudden visit at this hour. I loved this thing about our friendship.I slumped down on the sofa and rubbed my face.I was in a deep pain. I still had feelings for Sebestian even if I tried to ignore them for years. I couldn't resist the man who stole my heart.But he never gets tired of crushing my feelings. He felt pleasure in playing with me.Today, he again slapped the harsh truth on my face by kissing his mistress. The deep, agonizing pain stirred in my heart.I couldn't bring myself to forget what I witnessed a while ago."He
[ Charlotte ]"You look very pretty, Mom." Ace squealed as his eyes scanned me."Yes, Aunt Charlotte, you're looking very beautiful, just like Cinderella." Leah, joined him.Both kids were in awe.I was staring at the mirror to ensure whether I looked fine in a simple white dress and pearl set that I wore for my second wedding.I didn't want to exaggerate things as it was a very private ceremony which was about to take place in the backyard of the Manor with only our closest people."Thank, both of you but should you be present in the garden with others?" I narrowed my eyes at them who giggled looking at me."We wanted to give you a secret message of Uncle Seb." Leah stretched out her tiny palm, she handed me a small note."Sebestian gave this to me?" I asked them with confusion. They nodded their heads.I opened the small piece of paper and a smile stretched on my lips automatically reading his message. Heat rushed to my cheeks."Leah, Ace, you two are here?" A soft feminine voice di
[ Sebestian ]My world stopped when she uttered two words, those two words were enough to send me over my edges.She accepted me as her husband in front of our families and the God."I love you so much, Char. You can't measure the depth of my love and obsession for you." I whispered against her lips after kissing her for long two minutes.Her cheeks were tinted pink and chest heaving."I think I can say the same about you now," She said locking our eyes.My heartbeats accelerated anticipating those magical words from her."I love you too, Sebestian." She said in almost inaudible voice but I heard her.I couldn't believe my ears."Say it again, baby girl?" I cupped her face and pulled her closer."I'm madly in love with you again, Seb." She joined our foreheads."Mom, Dad, I also want a kiss!"Ace's loud and excited voice pulled us apart. We were shocked, especially me whose mouth was wide open as I struggled to grapple what my son just called me.Our little sunshine was beaming at us.
[ Charlotte ]The warm, fresh air and bright sunrays hit my face as soon as we stepped on the Greek land.It was almost afternoon when our private plane landed on the airport. The breath taking natural sceneries forced me to let go of fatigue and enjoy the serenity that nature provides."Do you like it here, Babe?" Sebestian’s amused voice forced me to glance at my husband who drowned himself in work throughout the plane journey while I slept most of the time.He put his glasses on and snaked his arm around my waist."Are you ready to explore this beautiful country, Wife?" He asked me."Can't wait." I winked at him and put on my shades to avoid the bright sunrays directly hitting my eyes.He led me out of the airstrip to where the cars were parked."What the hell is he doing here?" I was shocked to find his personal driver beside a car."I don't trust anyone, especially in a foreign country. So, I tagged him along. He goes everywhere with me." Sebestian told me.His driver, whose name
[ Sebestian ]The day was crazier than I imagined. We left the cottage to have our lunch and take a stroll in the nearby places as we needed to give our bodies rest but all my plans flew in the air when she dragged us to the shore after the lunch.She begged me to go for surfing. As much as the idea sounds thrilling, I couldn't dare to do it practically. I had my fears of ocean waves. They look horrible, eager to swallow you in the depth of ocean.But I couldn't confess my fear to her, it'd hurt my manly ego. She gave up pestering me when I didn't budge and went herself for surfing with the instructor who was young and undeniably handsome much for the jealousy I harbored.I wanted to drag her back and push the man in the ocean so the shark could feed on him.The tourism companies deliberately hire such handsome man with everything a woman fantasies to lure the female tourists.I was sounding like a love stuck teenager. I promised to never restrict her in anything she do, now I regrett
[ Arienna Blackwood ]"Don't run, Aria. Mom is tired and she wants a hug from her princess." I shouted and heard soft giggles of my five years old daughter from behind the curtains.A smile stretched over my lips as I spotted her shadow. She was the source of light in my life whom I found during my trip to Mexico and instantly fell in love with two years old orphan who was abandoned by her birth mother at an orphanage.It took me an year of struggle and legal procedure to adopt her officially and bring her to home."Mom got you." I grabbed her and tickled her.The little girl wriggled to get out of my hold while laughing. I showered her pretty face with kisses."Stop Mama, it's ticklish." She pushed my face away."No, Mama wants a cuddle with Aria." I pulled her on my lap and hugged her."I am angry on you, Mama. You promised to come back early but you're two days late." She pouted with grumpy face."I am sorry baby but you know my work. I am the CEO and it's mandatory for me to be
[ Arianna Blackwood ]"Anna.."Rafael's low voice rang into my ears. So, this man can also feel remorse!"Come and sit, Rafael. We need to talk on certain matters." I said in a flat tone."Please, let's just sit together and-" He tried to say something but I showed him my palm."I do not want to spend even a single moment with you, Mr. Martinez but we must clear a few things before we part our ways." I finally shot my blank eyes at him.He looked vulnerable, his eyes were puffy and red. By judging his appearance, I bet he hadn't been resting properly."Please, Arienna. Don't do this. It was my fault. Our baby died because of me." He said in a croaked tone, I observed his adam's apple bobbing up and down."It was my baby. It doesn't give you any right to call it yours just because you fucked me for once." I snapped at him, the bottled up anger and resentment was threatening to spill.He lowered his gaze and shook his head, "Alright, I won't. Please, calm down. We can talk once you get
[ Arianna Blackwood ]It's been four days.Four long days since I lost my baby, the last hope of my future. I am stoll trying to accept this news but my heart denies my loss. My lower body aches every time I move or shift, a constant reminder of my cruel fate.I don't deserve happiness since my birth. Why does God punish me? What did I do to deserve only grief and misfortunes in my life?"Ari, my princess." Dad's soft voice forced me to pull out of my mourning solicitude."Dad."I barely whispered as mu throat was constricted due to crying for hours since doctor broke the devastating news to me. I predicted my loss when I felt the pain during my argument with Rafael but a part of me hoped for a miracle to happen."I have brought your dinner. It's your mother's home cooked recipe, one of your favourite dishes and healthy." He placed a tiffin box on the table.He was trying to cheer me up. That's all my family could do, they stood like a pillar around me. They're my everything and I'd f
[ Rafael ]I have been waiting for two long hours, still no words from the hospital staff how Arienna is doing after miscarriage. Yes, the doctors declared the baby dead as soon as they admitted her and they had to perform emergency surgery to remove the dead fetus.Arienna lost too much blood which caused her to lose her consciousness for a long time.Miscarriage, a simple word with eleven syllables but it has so much pain and shattered hopes within it's depth. It has the power to bring even the bravest heart at the bottom.I lost my child, my first child despite several warnings from the doctors. Yet I let her go through the trauma, not once, not twice but everytime we talked.She's right, I killed our baby. I don't deserve it call it mine because Arienna tried her best to be there for our baby but I was busy hitting my head on the wall of past. I became so mad that her pain got unnoticed by me."How dare you?"A voice roared and I got punched on my face, it was a hard blow. I stumb
[ Arianna Blackwood ]After my conversation with my mother, I found myself drowning into more conflict. I couldn't live with Rafael as long as he keeps harboring hatred and vendetta against my family, on the other hand, I was drawn to my husband.I was screwed and back to square one."Anna, you're back?"Rafael's surprised voice reached into my ears and I turned around to find him standing at the threshold of main door."Yes, I guess. Sorry, if you're disappointed to see me here. Well, I won't take long. I came here to talk on certain matters." I said in a clipped tone.His features softened. He rushed towards me and grabbed my shoulders, "I don't want you to leave, not now not never, Anna. I can't imagine my life without you, my love. Please, forgive me. I am ready to talk to your parents if it makes you feel better." He sounded vulnerable and desperate.I detatched myself from him and looked away."Let's talk, Rafael. I don't want us to live in continuous uncertainties." I said in a
[ Arienna Blackwood ]"Mom, I want a divorce with Rafael. I don't think this marriage would work. I am sorry I didn't think wisely when I decided to marry him." I said to my mother who was calmly sipping her coffee.She didn't look affected by my decision, instead, she poured some in my cup."Please, say something, Mom. Your opinion matters to me the most." I gave her a pleading look."You want my honest opinion?" She finally looked up at me while placing her cup down on the table.I nodded my head in impatience.She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Are you afraid of the boy you once knew, who cared for you a lot or the man who is blind in vengeance. It's your take?" She asked me and I was left shocked."How..how..do you know?" I couldn't find proper words to ask her how did she know everything about Noah."I am your mother, Ari. Of course, I know everything about my children. I wouldn't have let you marry him if I didn't know about your groom. I ran a background check on Rafael and i
[ Rafael Martinez ]"You didn't have to take a stand for me. I can fight my own battles and it wasn't the first time my grandmother bullied me. She has always been like this. I thought you'd of all people would understand her nature." Arienna said curtly over the dining table.I gave her a blank look. She was only playing with the food on the plate."I had to show her that she can't boss around in my house and demean my wife." I replied. I heard suck a deep breath. "I am sorry for the morning. I shouldn't have said those things." I said after a momentary silence.We were back to square one because she didn't respond and resumed eating small portions from her plate."We're inviting your parents tomorrow at the breakfast. I don't want to live this cat and mice life anymore." I said."Don't drag my parents in your dirty games, Rafael. I will deal with them." She said in a flat tone and stood up."Finish your food, Anna. You can't ignore your health." I reminded her and our eyes met for
[ Rafael Martinez ]Arianna's outburst kept replaying in my mind like a record. Her eyes reflected her sedimentated anger and hatred for me and it broke my heart to see those emotions in her eyes. I made her hate me even more and probably ruined my every chances to be with her. She'll not stay quiet and tell her family about my identity and about my parents. "Come on, son. Are you going to say something or sit here like a stone statue. I know something has happened. This red mark on your face is telling a lot." My father said, his eyes were darted on my cheek.I touched the stinging area and looked away. "She's a poison in your life, Noah. Why are you with her? You're successful and young. You will find a thousand women at your disposal if you go for a bride hunt. Just leave her. You will get your child. I trust you." Mom again repeated the same dialog."Mom, please, I'm already frustrated and clueless. Yesterday, Charlotte Blackwood confronted me and it's not wrong either. She hel
[ Arianna Blackwood ] I sipped the ginger tea, enjoying the ghostly silence of the living room. The weather was still bad, the downpour changed into soft drizzle but the sky was grey and gloomy depicting my own mood. I heard footsteps. I recognized them so I sat unbothered and sipped the tea. "Good morning." I heard his grosggy voice. "Good morning," I wished him back curtly but didn't spare him a glance. "A cup of coffee please!" He yelled to his staff and sat across me. I stole a glance at him, he was in a t shirt and trousers. "I am sorry, the last night was unintentional. I never get this much drunk often unless I'm frustrated." He kept talking but I only listened. I remained quiet. "Look, if you're intentionally ignoring me then it won't work, Arianna. We can't go like this." He said in a little frustrated voice. Meanwhile, his coffee was served. "I am not in a mood to talk. I hope you understand." I said without looking up. "Alright, take your time to sort out your moo