Arabel's POVBarely parking, I jump out of the car, racing into the teacher's office.Kicking the door open, I rush in, only to stop dead in my tracks when I see Daisy, sitting quietly beside Mrs. Mathew.There is a strange guy standing at attention by the door. Mrs. Mathew is seated, and the proprietor is also seated.Two other male teachers, whom I recognize, are standing next to the strange man. It jerks me back to reality as I rush towards Daisy.“Baby,” I cry out, and she embraces me tightly. “Oh, baby.”Someone bursts in, and I know it is Richard. He had been on several calls on our way here, but I didn't even pay attention to any of them.My mind was in disarray. My head was spinning. And dread was engulfing my whole existence as I realized that my dream was about to come true.Seeing Daisy now, when I thought she must be long gone, has brought relief to my existence. Right now, I don't even care what happened or how it happened.The most important thing is that my baby is her
Richard's POVHer “please” came out as a demand request instead of a plea.It makes me stare at her intensely, wondering what I have to do to win her back and have everything to myself.“Please, Richard,” she mutters again, this time with her eyes soft in humbleness. Quickly, I nod.I suggested we move in together, probably at the mansion or at the penthouse, so I can have them guarded and have my eyes on them all the time.At the mansion, I have my eyes everywhere because of the cameras installed in every corner of the mansion.I never thought I would think of living in that mansion again until now. I left because of her, and I would gladly go if she wanted us to.However, there are no cameras installed anywhere in the penthouse. It is my private space. My safe haven. From the world.I didn't bother with the cameras because I hadn't needed them until now.Arabel quietly disagreed with me as soon as I let out my suggestion, until Daisy chipped in. “Let's stay with Daddy, Mommy. I am
Arabel's POVAs soon as I park the car in the garage, I turn off the engine before stepping down.As soon as I am out, my gaze flickers to the green car outside. The same car has been trailing me for a week since Daisy, Richard, and I arrived in New York.They are Richard's men.Our guards. Seeing them behind me whenever I am out fills my insides with relief. Especially when I am out with Daisy.Tonight, Daisy is staying over at Ashley's. When I told Richard, he insisted on having some men at Ashley's place, despite the tight security at Ashley and Caleb's home.To be honest, I am deeply relieved and assured that nothing will go wrong.Those men are capable. I have seen them. Once.We arrived in New York that night. I noticed how hefty they were. They were fully armed and would do anything to anyone who attacked Daisy or me, according to Richard.If I was told years ago that I would trust Richard again, I would deny it. But in this case, I trust him.Nothing is going to happen to my
Richard's POVEvery ounce of shame, guilt, and regret fills me inside, making my heart thump wildly.“I'm f**king sorry.” I drag a hand through my hair, looking down in defeat. “I'm sorry, Bella.”She sniffs and moves away. For a moment, I think she will leave and never come back again, but she surprises me by going to the couch to sit with her two hands over her forehead.I stay rooted in a spot, unsure of what I am supposed to say or do. Not sure if moving close to her is a great idea.She is sensitive to the topic of our divorce. And I understand.When she looks up at me, the raw pain in her eyes causes fear to gnaw at my heart. Even though she has forgiven me, forgetting everything is highly unlikely.I find myself moving towards her. When I am close enough, I kneel in front of her, her gaze fixated on me, I mutter. “I'm so sorry.”“It's fine.” She nods. “Just a date, right?”Shock completely submerges me, but I nod anyway. She let out a sad smile before leaning backward. “A date
Arabel's POVAs a tear trickles down my cheeks on my way out, I begin to wonder why. I keep asking myself if this heaviness inside my heart is because Richard keeps confessing his feelings for me while igniting mine, or if this is just because he kissed me again.After I warned him.I gave him a chance.He ruined it again. He couldn't hold himself back.In a haste to be far from here, to gather my thoughts and decide on what I really want, I bump my shoulder into someone just as the elevator opens.I stumble backward, but I am quick to grab myself, stopping me from falling to the ground.“I'm so sorry,” the young woman apologizes quickly, squatting down to grab my phone, which rolled down from my hand to the floor.I plaster a quick smile on my face so she won't assume I am offended by what happened. It is not entirely her fault; I wasn't looking either.I was blinded by my tears. When she looks up, my eyes flash in recognition as a low gasp leaves my mouth, making my heart beat lou
Richard's POV My hand freezes halfway to my ears, allowing my phone to crash to the floor, as soon as my eyes flash to catch sight of her red car driving off.Shit!She must have bumped into Eve downstairs.Without hesitation, I grab the phone and run back into the living room to get my shirt and car keys before heading out.Shit!That bitch. I wonder how she got to know this place. I'll make sure she never steps foot here again.With that determination, I dash out, not bothering to take the elevator, and quickly descend the staircase before sprinting to the car.My insides are in disarray. My mind is jumbled.What exactly am I supposed to tell Arabel for her to believe me? That bitch had never stepped foot in here; this is her first, but I am sure Arabel won't believe it.When I am inside my car, I angrily slam my fist on the wheels. My phone begins to ring, and I pick it up.“What?!” I bark into the phone, reversing out of the gate and turning onto the road at a high speed.“I want
Arabel's POVShock punches through the tatters of my anger. And my heart leaps with fear.After the loud noise, I shoot to my feet and listen attentively to the voices coming from the distance.Quickly, I call out. “Richard? Are you there? Are you okay? Richard?!”No reply.My heart skips another beat. My mouth becomes dry with indecision. Whether to believe what is going through my head and rush out or just sit back and wait for his call.But how can I do the latter when the call is still ongoing and I can't hear his voice? What the hell happened?“It's a man. Get an ambulance!” A strange voice shouts, making me step backwards with my hand over my mouth. I miss my step and fall on my buttocks.“An ambulance!” Another voice shouts over, and I finally disconnect the call.Shivering, I force myself back up and rush out of the room I just checked into less than thirty minutes ago.Richard. Please. Let it not be what I am thinking. Please.Tears are already streaming down my eyes. I don't
Arabel's POVI open my eyes again to land them on Caleb, who is sitting opposite Ashley and me. I turn to Ashley, and she wraps a hand around my shoulder, understanding what my look means.I'm blaming myself already.What if he dies? How could I live with that, knowing full well that I forgave him but not fully? Knowing full well that I caused it?I sob. The lump of dread stuck in my throat has refused to go down.The doctors won't let us in.We were just lucky enough to see him when he was brought out of the surgery room. There were tubes all around him, and I almost collapsed at the sight.Richard was hale and hearty an hour ago. Smiling at me. Kissing me.And now he is bedridden. Unconscious.How can I possibly cope with that? What do I tell Daisy? What if she asks him? Is this a punishment for me to value him more than I currently do?I blame myself because I keep pushing him away. Forgiving him was one thing; forgetting everything was another; and giving him another chance was o
Arabel's POVA YEAR LATERA smile radiates from my face as I give my reflection one last check.Unable to ignore the blushes on my cheeks, I remain conscious of the excitement fluttering in my stomach, making me feel like a young adult getting married for the first time in her life.Because the first wedding wasn't real, it feels like the first time. We didn't tie the knot out of love, but this time we're marrying because we love each other.It took me birthing Andrew Giodano to realize what I wanted: to have a family with Richard.He never mentioned marriage to me again until a week after the birth of Andrew, when I asked him when he would propose to me again.His jaws dropped in surprise, but quickly disappeared as relief took over. Before I could do anything, he swept me up in his arms and spun me around.Before he could drop me back on my feet, I bit his shoulder.Everything feels surreal.This is indeed happening. This time, I won't stop myself from telling him how much I love hi
Richard's POVArabel suggested a family date night with mom, Ashley, Caleb, and Daisy present. I haven’t seen her for more than an hour because she is bent on supervising every single meal that comes out of the kitchen tonight.It makes a little smile dance across my face.Sometimes, the pregnancy takes a toll on her. Initially, she experienced morning sickness and constant cravings.At times, she exudes energy and happiness, and today is one of those days.She mentioned she wasn't like this with Daisy. Her pregnancy was stress-free except for the first three months, when she couldn't control her cravings and could barely devour any meals she prepared.When a car drives into the courtyard, I stand up to welcome our first guests, Ashley and Caleb. I still haven't gotten used to the fact that Ashley is no longer my employer but my friend’s wife.Caleb is gradually taking up the role of a best friend in my life. He is very supportive, just like Ashley loves and supports Arabel.He stood
Arabel's POVStella had just left my office, only to rush back in with a bouquet of flowers and a bright smile on her face.I raise a brow in question, dropping the pen in my hand and asking, “Who is that for?”"You, of course,” she replies, making butterflies erupt in my stomach at the thought of Richard.Is he back in London?I shoot up to my feet as she drops the bouquet on my desk. My eyes catch the little note stuck in between, and I grab it.‘To the most beautiful woman ever.’My heart begins to beat faster as I feel an instant burst of excitement. When I glance up, Stella is still standing with a grin on her face.Just as I am about to ask her to leave, she mutters. “He is waiting outside.”He is really here. My eyes widen as I drop the card, signaling for her to leave. As soon as she leaves, I attempt to maintain composure and avoid displaying excessive excitement before heading out.Richard has been away for two weeks now, and it feels like eternity. Just yesterday, I was tem
Richard's POVI open the door quietly to see Arabel standing by the window with her arms wrapped around her waist.She is so engrossed, she doesn't even know when I enter fully until I step closer to her and wrap my hands from behind around her stomach.She freezes.“Richard?!” She calls with surprise, and a low chuckle leaves my mouth.She turns around, allowing my hands to drop. “Who else would it be?”I pull her closer and give her a brief kiss on the lips.“What are you doing here?” She glances around her room, probably wondering if I came with someone. “What are you doing here this late?”“I miss you,” I admit in a soft voice.She chuckles and steps back, her arms still around her waist. “But we saw each other a few days ago, Richard. I thought you said you were okay with me being here in London.”I did.But I can't help it. She gave me a condition, and that condition is for her to go back to London.Her home was in London.I didn't give it much thought before giving in. I didn't
Arabel's POVFollowing my gut is the best thing I can do to reach a decision.I must decide whether to follow my heart's desires or not. For years, I have tried. I have tried to find other men attractive, but none have ever gotten my heart racing the way Richard does.I have tried to despise the man I bore a child for, but nothing has worked. Even though I harbored intense anger towards him for abandoning me, my love for him surpasses even life itself.The words he spewed at me that day, after announcing the divorce, began to ring in my ears.“Remember the agreement we had? Now that Eve is back, we should get a divorce so I can marry her.”The agreement!I thought he was talking about how he told me he still loved Eve. I never recalled him mentioning that our marriage was going to be temporary.I misunderstood him.My overexcitement made me overthink his words that day.And my refusal to feel bad about him having a girlfriend while we are getting married.How could I have thought he w
Richard's POVShe is wearing the dress.Emotions begin to spiral as I try hard to keep the tears from flowing.When she turns to me, I dart my eyes away quickly and focus on the road.Finally, she breaks the silence. “Where are we going, Richard?”The sound of my voice leaving her beautiful, inviting lips sounds so much like music to me. It prompts me to steal another glance at her beautiful face.She raises a brow, reminding me of the question.“You will see,” I only say, forcefully peeling my eyes off her and hoping she won't insist on knowing where I am taking her. “We are almost there.”Silence falls.The fact that she is wearing the dress I bought for her, which I left on the bed before sending her a text to get dressed because I have somewhere to take her, brings me immense joy.It's tempting me to grab her in my arms and slam my lips on hers.After a few more minutes of driving in silence, I pull over in front of the diner, nervousness sinking into my system.She looks out of t
Arabel's POVBy the time I drive into the open gates of Ashley's home, I can't keep my left hand from trembling with intense pain.My decision to drive here with one hand unbandaged and the other in cast is an impulsive one, but I was too desperate to be here to think of another alternative.I carefully park the car in the garage and exit, a wince leaving my mouth.I am not supposed to drive here myself, but the tension around Richard and I since I found out about my pregnancy has been so awkward.We haven't talked about it, and Ashley was the first person who came to mind. I could barely stay calm back at the hospital. All I was thinking of was Ashley and about coming here to see her.When I get to the front door, my phone begins to ring, but I ignore it as I hasten to go in.Ashley doesn't know I'm here. The moment I see her maid, I flash her a quick smile. “Where is she?”“In the living room,” she answers after greeting me politely.Without hesitation, I practically jog to the livi
Arabel's POVMy eyes drift open at the sound of Richard's voice. When I can't see him anywhere around, I lift myself up from the bed, wincing a little, and rest my back on the headboard.He arrives with a phone glued to his right ear.Our eyes lock.“I will have Scott come to you in a couple of hours,” he mutters, his gaze not leaving mine. “Good. Thank you.”He drops the call, and a smile creeps to his face.A frown is etched on my face as I begin to wonder how I got into bed.“Hey,” Richard says, closing the distance between us, his gaze not wavering. “Are you okay?”When I don't answer, he presses his lips on mine briefly before pulling away while I sit still, just in time for his phone to start ringing again.“Work?” I watch him bounce his gaze from me to his phone. He is indecisive on whether to pick up the call or not, probably because he thinks I will convince him to go back home again.“I will call her later, are you okay?” He presses the reject button, then digs it back into
Richard's POVThe ringing sound of my phone cuts my laughter short as I dig my hand into my pants pocket to fish out the phone with my gaze still fixed on Daisy watering the flowers.I glance at my screen and see that it is Amy, my secretary.She was employed after Ashley resigned. She is nowhere near as excellent as Ashley, but she is okay.Having been away from work for about a month, I wouldn't be this concerned if Ashley was still my secretary.Amy calls me for every single thing.I get that she is still new, but some of her calls are totally unnecessary. I'm thinking of asking Ashley to help me put her through some things while I'm here in London.“Amy?” As soon as I answer the call, Daisy turns to face me. I signal to her to continue watering the flowers before I move away.“Good morning, sir,” she says politely. “Are you back in New York?”“No, Amy. I told you I would be back next week, didn't I?” I remember telling her this a week ago, and two weeks ago, too.“The appointment