CHAPTER 18

Beatrice’s POV

The day had drained every ounce of energy from me. I was very sad about today's turn of events, and I've never felt more humiliated than before today.

All eyes were on me as I stood quietly to serve Xander. This man was just the definition of cruelty. Was I sure this was the man I had given my virginity to? 

After exiting the car a few blocks from my house, I stumped my feet on the ground. I yelled out loud; I HATE XANDER THANE. May you be miserable forever and ever.

When I finally walked through my apartment door, my body ached from exhaustion, and my mind felt numb. It wasn’t just the long hours at work or the weight of my responsibilities—it was him. Xander. The way he treated me. The way he made me feel so small as if I were nothing more than a disposable piece in whatever grand scheme he was playing, I had made up my mind never to let him discover my three treasures. If he discovered they were his children, how would he react — he can't kill them for sure.

Different thoughts moved haphazardly in my mind. I leaned against the door briefly, inhaling deeply before pushing myself forward. The scent of home—soft lavender mixed with the faint aroma of vanilla—greeted me. A stark contrast to the cold, oppressive air of Xander’s office.

“Mommy’s home!”

My children's familiar, cheerful voices pulled me out of my thoughts.

Before I could take another step, small feet pounded against the floor as my three little ones rushed toward me. Their faces looked like they just woke up from their sleep. Their excited giggles filled the room, their eyes shining with pure joy. Caleb was the first to reach me, wrapping his tiny arms around my waist. Cooper followed, and Charlotte, my sweet girl, tugged at my hand, her face beaming with happiness.

I bent down and pulled them into a tight embrace, breathing in their warmth and innocence.

“Mommy, you’re late today,” Charlotte pouted, crossing her arms in a dramatic huff.

“I know, baby, I’m sorry.” I kissed the top of her head before ruffling Cooper’s hair. “Work was really busy today.”

They didn’t know how much more there was to it. 

They didn’t know how their father—the man they had never met—was the very reason for my exhaustion.

Still, despite everything, seeing their smiles made the long hours worth it.

“I made it up to you guys, though,” I teased, standing up and stretching. “I’m making your favourite dinner tonight.”

The way their faces lit up was all the motivation I needed to push aside my fatigue.

“Spaghetti and meatballs?” Caleb asked, his eyes hopeful.

“Of course,” I said, laughing softly.

“Can I help?” Cooper chimed in.

“Me too!” Charlotte added eagerly.

“Alright, but only if you promise to be good little helpers.”

They eagerly nodded, their excitement making me forget how exhausted I truly was, even if just for a little while.

After cooking, we all moved to the dining area to eat,with joy radiating through Caleb, Cooper, and Charlotte's faces. We all ate in peace, and I forgot about today's incidents.

After dinner, I tucked them into bed one by one. Charlotte fell asleep first, curled against her stuffed bunny. Caleb and Cooper took a little longer, asking for extra bedtime stories, but eventually, their breathing evened out, their small faces peaceful in sleep.

I watched them for a moment, my heart aching with a mix of love and sadness.

They had no idea how cruel the world could be.

How cruel he— Xander could be.

The loneliness crept back in as I turned off their bedroom light and closed the door quietly.

I returned to my room, peeling off my work clothes as I showered. The warm water cascaded down my body, washing away the day’s stress, but it couldn’t wash away the sting of Xander’s words, the way he had humiliated me in front of everyone.

I moved into the bathtub, shaking off all thoughts of Xander. Water flowed through my whole body, and everywhere felt like heaven. Rose petals flowed endlessly on the water, and the cool scent of lavender filled everything. I almost slept in the bathtub until I looked up and saw that the time had passed.

I stood up and then leaned my forehead against the cool tiles, my chest tightening.

How had I ended up here?

Like .....I don't understand...

After everything I had been through, after the night we had spent together—how could he treat me like I was nothing? 

Did he hate me that much?

Or was this his way of punishing me?

For what?

For surviving?

For keeping our children from him—well, I guess he didn't know about that, and I'll always keep it unknown to him.

I exhaled shakily and turned off the water. Drying quickly, I threw on an oversized t-shirt and crawled into bed. The moment my head hit the pillow, my body sank into the mattress, and exhaustion finally took over.

***

The blaring sound of my alarm jolted me awake.

I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The morning had arrived too soon, and my body protested as I forced myself up.

My daily routine began again.

I didn't even want to wake up again because of how Xander treated me Every Time.

Breakfast, getting the kids ready, packing their lunches, and dropping them off at school.

Everything blurred together in a haze of movement until, finally, I was back at work—the place I hated the most now.

I sat at my desk, flipping through proposal documents, trying to focus— distracting myself from people's whispers about yesterday's event.

The office was buzzing with activity. Phones rang, employees chatted in hushed voices, and the occasional laughter broke through the usual tension. But I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in my chest.

I felt it before it happened.

Pearl, the office Gossip, appeared beside my desk, her expression unreadable.

“Beatrice,” she said, her voice neutral. “Mr. Thane wants to see you.”

My stomach twisted.

It didn’t matter how many times I had been summoned to his office—each time felt like stepping onto a battlefield.

I nodded, setting down my pen before following her down the hallway.

Xander’s office was large and intimidating, just like the man himself. Apart from that, he hated me and showed it to everyone around him.

When I walked in, he stood by the window, his hands in his pockets. His posture was relaxed, but I knew better.

He was anything but relaxed.

“You wanted to see me?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

He turned slowly, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. The air in the room shifted, growing heavier.

“Yes.” His voice was cold, sharp. “Sit.”

I did as he commanded, my hands folding tightly in my lap.

Without wasting a moment, he slid a thick folder across the desk. “I need you to review this proposal and have a full report ready by tomorrow morning.”

I stared at the folder. It was late, and the work he was giving me would take hours. 

I met his gaze. “Tomorrow morning?” I repeated.

Oh...no! 

His lips curled into a smirk, but there was no amusement in his eyes. “Is there a problem?”

I swallowed hard. I had in mind that I needed to call someone to pick up the triplets because their closing time was near. My triplets would be so annoyed, I thought. I promised them not to come late again. 

I could only imagine how their faces would be when I saw them.

Before I could think further, I was snapped out of my thoughts.

He knew this was unfair and that it would keep me up all night.

But he didn’t care.

“No problem,” I said, my voice quieter than before.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

“I pay you more than the others,” he reminded me, his voice almost mocking. “I expect more from you.”

I clenched my fists under the desk.

I wanted to scream at him, to demand why he was doing this.

But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Instead, I nodded. “Understood.”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable.

But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

“You’re dismissed.”

I stood, picked up the folder, and turned toward the door.

But before I could leave, his voice stopped me.

“Beatrice.”

I hesitated, gripping the folder tightly.

“Don’t be late tomorrow,” he said, his voice lower.

I didn’t turn around.

Instead, I walked out, keeping my head high, even as my heart ached.

Because no matter how much I wanted to hate him, no matter how much pain he caused me…

I still wasn’t sure if I ever could.