EZEKIEL“Vera, hold still,” Vivienne said gently, smoothing the lotion over Vera’s arms. Vera, who was in the middle of bouncing up and down, giggled. She was wearing this cute little swimsuit covered in bright flowers, her hair tied back into a ponytail that swayed with every movement.“I’m holding still, Mom!” Vera insisted, though she clearly wasn’t.Vivienne just smiled and finished applying the sunblock, then turned to Vince. He was more patient, standing still while she worked. Vince was wearing simple board shorts and these aviator sunglasses I’d bought him a while back. “Don’t forget to put it on your face too,” Vivienne reminded him.“I know, Mom,” Vince said, but there was no frustration in his voice. Just calmness. He always kept it cool like that, even as a kid.I watched from a few feet away as Vivienne knelt beside the kids. She was focused, making sure Vera and Vince were well-protected before letting them run off to the shore again. I stood a little further back, wat
VIVIENNEAs soon as Ezekiel finished rubbing the sunblock onto my back, I finally let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. His touch had lingered a bit longer than necessary, and there was something about the way his hands felt against my skin that made me feel warmer than the sun itself. I wasn’t sure why, but every time he got close, I felt this... heat. Okay. Get a grip, Vivienne! I shook the feeling off, reminding myself that this was just Ezekiel. We had done this a thousand times before. But still, something about today felt different.Before I could think too much about it, Vince caught my attention. He was walking toward me, holding something in his hand. His face lit up with pride as he stretched his arm out to show me a shell he had picked up from the sand.“Mom, look what I found,” he said.I took a closer look and smiled. The shell was beautiful, a rare spiraled one with light pink and white stripes. “Wow, Vince! That’s a beautiful shell. It’s really rare to fi
VIVIENNE“Vince…” I said as I tried to reach out to him. Unfortunately, he stepped backHe was clearly upset! His words hit harder than I anticipated. He never said something like that to me even before. So, hearing him talk about his real feelings was making my heart ache. I felt a lump forming in my throat. Vince wasn’t the type to express himself openly, so the fact that he had spoken up now meant that his feelings were strong. It hurt knowing that we had let him down like this, and I hated that he felt overlooked, like he was less important than Vera. The last thing I ever wanted was for one of my kids to feel unloved or left out, yet here we were, with Vince telling me exactly that.How did we not see it? How did I not notice sooner?I stood there, unsure of how to respond right away. Ezekiel seemed just as taken aback as well, his mouth opening slightly as if to say something, but nothing came out.“No. You’re always telling me to let it go. Always telling me to be patient beca
EZEKIELThe accusation of favoritism—it stung.Vivienne and I were standing side by side and I could tell from her expression that she was just as shaken as I was by what our son had said. After a moment, we finally decided to approach Vince. We started walking slowly toward him, who had wandered down the shore. He was sitting on a huge rock, throwing small pebbles into the sea one by one. He didn’t look back as we approached, but I could tell he knew we were coming. I glanced at Vivienne. We both knew this wasn’t going to be an easy conversation, but we had to make things right.When we got closer, I noticed the slump in Vince’s shoulders, the way he was staring out at the water. He looked frustrated, maybe even a little sad. That hurt. It hurt a lot to see my son like that, especially knowing that we were the cause of it.Vivienne was the first to speak. Her voice was soft but steady as she said, “Vince, can we talk for a minute?”He didn’t look at us, but he stopped throwing the
VIVIENNE“I found the best shell today,” Vince said, holding up a small, shiny shell he had placed on the nightstand. “It’s so smooth, and look at the colors. You won’t find anything like this back home.”As we tucked the kids into bed, Vince and Vera were still overflowing with excitement about the shells they had found. Vera, not wanting to be outdone, crossed her arms and pouted. “Yeah, but mine is way cooler. Look how big it is! And it has all these little ridges on the side. You didn’t find anything like this.”Vince rolled his eyes. “That’s because yours is broken on one side. It’s not even rare.”Vera frowned but then grinned cheekily. “Doesn’t matter. It’s still prettier than yours.”“Is not,” Vince shot back, but he smiled too, clearly not that bothered.I smiled, watching them bicker lightheartedly. "Alright, you two, time for sleep. You can argue over whose shell is the best tomorrow."Vince and Vera giggled, still whispering about their shells as they started to drift o
EZEKIEL“Dad!” Vera’s voice was the first thing I heard. I woke up to the sound of tiny footsteps and hushed voices. My head was resting on my desk, and the soft light filtering through the window told me it was already morning. I blinked a few times, realizing I must have fallen asleep while working.“Daddy!” Vera called me again and when I glanced at her, she pouted, her arms crossed in front of her. “We looked for you in your room, but you weren’t there!”Vince stood beside her, looking a little more relaxed. “Yeah, Mom said you were probably still in your office, so we came here.”I rubbed my eyes and stretched, feeling the stiffness in my neck from sleeping in the chair. “Good morning, you two,” I said, giving them a sleepy smile. “I’m sorry, I had to stay up all night to finish some work.”Vera’s pout softened, and she smiled at me. “It’s okay, but we missed you! We’re supposed to have breakfast together.”I chuckled and ruffled her hair. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. So
VIVIENNE“Dad, throw me higher next time!” Vince shouted, wiping water from his face.Vince and Vera clung to Ezekiel as the waves gently lapped around them. Vince was laughing hard. Ezekiel grinned, lifting him up. “You sure? I might throw you all the way to the moon,” he teased, pretending to struggle with Vince’s weight.Vera giggled from his other side. “Me next! Me next! Higher than Vince!” she squealed, holding onto Ezekiel’s arm tightly.Ezekiel tossed Vince gently into the water, catching him before he could go too far. “Alright, princess, your turn,” he said, lifting her up high. Vera screamed in excitement, kicking her feet in the air before Ezekiel brought her safely back into his arms.“Again! Again!” Vince demanded, already swimming back to Ezekiel.“Guys, be careful, okay?!” I shouted since I was kinda worried about what they were doing. Gosh, what if Ezekiel makes a wrong move?“Chill. Trust me,” Ezekiel said as he smirked. With his wet hair, he looked so hot righ
VIVIENNEThe sun was warm, and the breeze was soft as we all gathered on the beach. It was time for our sandcastle competition, and I was feeling pretty confident. I glanced at Ezekiel, who was smiling at me."Alright, rock, paper, scissors to see who picks first," I said, holding my hand out."Deal," Ezekiel replied. Playfulness was evident in his green eyes. We counted down, "One, two, three!"I threw out paper, and he went with rock. I couldn’t help but grin as I looked at him. "Looks like I win," I said.Vera giggled beside me, while Vince stayed quiet, giving Ezekiel a small look. Ezekiel shrugged, not too bothered by it. "Okay, who are you picking?" Ezekiel asked, looking at me.I glanced between Vera and Vince. Vera was practically jumping up and down, hoping I would pick her. Then I looked at Vince. He was calm, as always, but I could tell Ezekiel was still trying to bond with him. They needed this. So, I made my choice."I’ll pick Vera," I said, smiling at her."Yay! Mom
EZEKIEL NEVER THOUGHT he’d feel so nervous, yet here he was. He couldn’t help but pace back and forth in the hospital room while Vivienne lay on the bed, breathing deeply as another contraction hit. His palms were sweaty and his heart was racing so damn fast. He couldn’t even sit down for a second. This was nothing like the business meetings, nothing like the deals he’d spent his life preparing for. This was something else. He’d missed the birth of the twins, and he knew he couldn’t miss a second of this moment with Vivienne.He’d missed the birth of the twins, and he knew he couldn’t miss a second of this moment with Vivienne. Back then, he hadn’t been there to hold her hand, to see the twins take their first breaths. This time, he’d promised himself he’d be present, no matter how terrifying it felt. Vivienne noticed his restless pacing and reached out to catch his hand, tugging gently. “Zeke, calm down,” she said, chuckling despite her pain.He stopped, looking down at her, his
VINCE WAS SITTING alone in the school canteen while he was lost in his own thoughts. Unlike his twin sister, he wasn’t worried at all about having a new sibling. In fact, he was excited. He couldn’t wait to have someone younger around to teach things to, especially about computers and coding. He’d already planned it out in his head that he’d show their new sibling all the basics, and someday, they’d be able to talk about complex stuff too. Just the thought of it made him smile.As he stared into space while planning all the lessons he’d someday teach, someone placed a small box in front of him. Vince blinked when his train of thought was interrupted. He looked down at the box, noticing it was wrapped neatly with a bow on top. Then he looked up and saw Maesei, the little girl he, Vera, and Genesis had helped when she was being bullied a while back.Maesei was standing there, looking shy and nervous. Her cheeks were red and she avoided his gaze, looking down at the table instead.Vin
GENESIS SPOTTED VERA sitting alone on the bleachers, looking lost in thought as she watched Vince at his soccer practice. She was unusually quiet, her small frame slumped forward, and her chin rested on her hands. Genesis found this strange. Usually, Vera was energetic and loud, always cheering for her brother or chatting away.With a grin, Genesis walked over and sat down beside her. “Hey,” he said, nudging her gently. “Why do you look so sad? Thinking too hard?”To his surprise, Vera’s lip started to tremble, and before he knew it, tears spilled down her cheeks. She let out a small, choked sob, and then it came—all the tears she had held back, spilling out in big, messy drops.Genesis's eyes widened and he instantly panicked. “Whoa, hey, hey—what’s wrong, Vera?” He fumbled, trying to figure out what to do. He’d never seen her cry like this before. “Did something happen?”Vera shook her head but kept crying, covering her face with her hands. Feeling helpless, Genesis reached over
THE AFTER-PARTY was winding down and Piper was more than a little tipsy. She leaned heavily on Jeremy, her bubbly personality even more vibrant after a few too many glasses of champagne. Jeremy sighed, his arm steady around her as he led her through the crowded room.“Come on, Piper,” he said while rying to sound patient. “Let’s get you home.”Piper let out a laugh as she rolled her eyes. “Oh, Jeremy, you’re so lame! Why didn’t you drink anything tonight? There were bottles of wine that cost more than you’d make in a month! You could’ve at least had one!”Jeremy shook his head, guiding her carefully through the doorway. “I don’t drink much. Besides, someone had to be responsible for you,” he said in a calm voice. She threw him a mock offended look, then smirked. “Oh, please. Responsible? You’re missing out! Once-in-a-blue-moon kind of party, and you’re just standing there, drinking water. So boring.”He just nodded, too tired to argue. He knew she was half-joking, half-serious, but
EZEKIELForgiving isn’t easy. It’s one of the hardest things you can do, especially when the person who hurt you is someone you once trusted, someone you loved deeply. I’d always respected people who could forgive the ones who wronged them, who could find it in their hearts to let go of pain and bitterness. And tonight, watching Vivienne, I felt my admiration for her grow even more.I thought I’d reached the limit of how much I could love her, but seeing her forgive my mother—that changed things. Vivienne had already forgiven me before, a forgiveness I never thought I deserved but clung to, knowing how lucky I was to have it. And now, she was doing the same for my mother. I looked at Vivienne, her calm expression, her steady gaze, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful. She was truly incredible, a woman who could forgive despite the hurt, and in that moment, I knew I was the luckiest man alive.After my mother’s apology, we found a quieter spot away from everyone else. I turned to V
VIVIENNEIt was never too late to rise up again after you’ve hit rock bottom. I’d learned that lesson over and over, but standing here now, it finally felt real. So many times, I thought that scandal with Aton would destroy everything I’d worked for. I worried people would only ever see me as the woman caught up in a messy scheme, but here I was, with a new chapter in front of me. This was my second chance—not just to clear my name, but to make it stronger than ever. Viatrix. That name still had power, still had life.I looked around the room, taking in all the smiles and congratulatory handshakes. Ezekiel and I had just launched our fashion line that we had been working on, and the event couldn’t have gone any better. Everywhere I turned, there were people celebrating with us, praising the collection, the designs, the way we had merged our ideas and brought something beautiful to life. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly proud of myself and what I had accomplished ag
EZEKIELIt was never too late to change. I knew that now. I wouldn’t deny to myself or to anyone else that I had made mistakes before. Too many to count, honestly. I’d been an ass. I didn’t know what I really wanted back then. I wasn’t sure of what the right thing was or how to treat Vivienne the way she deserved. I’d lost sight of things, caught up in my own mess, letting my insecurities and past hold me back. But now, standing here in Switzerland, away from the noise and all the misunderstandings, I felt something I’d never felt before—a clear sense of certainty. I loved her. I loved Vivienne in a way that was different, in a way that wasn’t clouded by doubt or fear. She was the woman I wanted to spend my life with, and I’d failed to see that in the past. But I had the chance to make it right, and I wasn’t going to let it slip by.The soft breeze carried the scent of lilies as I stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for Vivienne. My heart pounded, and I could feel the tears gather
VIVIENNEBefore, I was just dreaming of a good husband. A husband who would love me, who would prioritize me, who would stand by my side no matter what. It felt like a faraway wish, something I’d only imagine late at night. When I first married Ezekiel, it wasn’t like that at all. He only married me because he felt he had to; it was a shotgun marriage after all, coming right after the surprise of my pregnancy.Back then, Ezekiel couldn’t even get over his ex, Alex. I knew it. Everyone knew it. I always felt like a stand-in, a shadow, never really the one he wanted. I was just a substitute. But now, looking at him today—seeing him boldly defend me, even against his own parents—I can’t ignore how deeply he’s changed. Before, Ezekiel always followed his parents’ words without question, like he was bound by some invisible chain. They had such a hold over him, and I’d come to accept that their influence would always come first. So now, seeing him stand up to them—for my sake, no less—fe
EZEKIELMy fists balled as I scanned through each line of conversation on Vince’s laptop. Each word felt like a punch. And I gritted my teeth, trying to contain the anger boiling within me. Genesis had been right. It was real that the contents from Aton’s phone had transferred over. Everything was here—messages, plans, and schemes that Aton and my own fucking father had discussed. Each message was worse than the last, detailing how they intended to bring down Vivienne and tarnish everything she’d worked for. I could feel Alice and Ronaldo leaning in, reading over my shoulder. Alice gasped, covering her mouth as her face turned pale. She shook her head. “I can’t believe they could plan something so evil,” she whispered, horrified.Ronaldo’s expression darkened, his eyes sharp and filled with rage. “This won’t slide,” he said firmly, his voice low and steady. “I won’t let them get away with this.”His words fueled my resolve. I nodded, swallowing hard, though my mind was racing. Ju