VIVIENNEMy heart automatically ached when Ezekiel mentioned our first child. Although years had already passed and I even got Vera and Vince now, the pain of the miscarriage was never really gone. It just stayed within me, occasionally getting triggered. I could still clearly remember how alone I felt during that time. How everything seemed to crumble around me. And worst of all, I felt like I had lost Ezekiel too. He became so distant, so cold. It was as if the miscarriage took away more than just our child; it took away the man I had fallen in love with.But I didn’t want to dwell on those thoughts. So, I pushed the negative feelings aside."Anyways," I began, trying to change the subject, "don’t you have work to do? How were you able to travel from Paris to New York and come here to the park with us?"Ezekiel looked at me. The guilt faded from his expression. He was probably guilty when he brought up our lost child earlier. Now, a small smile played on his lips again. "I cance
VIVIENNEI had to be fair. Ezekiel had missed so much of Vince and Vera’s lives, and as much as I wanted to keep them close to me, I knew I couldn’t be selfish. To be honest, I wasn’t used to the idea of being away from my kids for three days at a time, but I needed to get used to it. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t just about me anymore. This was mainly about what was best for Vince and Vera too.So, after our family day at the adventure park and after Ezekiel and I had an agreement, I knew it was time to talk to the kids. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I gathered them in the living room. Vince and Vera sat on the couch and their curious eyes were on me, waiting for whatever I was about to say.“Kids,” I began, my voice soft but firm, “I need to talk to you about something important.”Vera perked up immediately, always eager to know what was going on. Vince, on the other hand, looked a bit wary, like he already sensed that this wasn’t going to be someth
EZEKIEL“Are everything perfect already?” I asked the room organizer I hired to fix the rooms of Vince and Vera in my house. “Yes, Sir. Everything’s according to what you wanted us to do.” “Good.” I had been planning for this day ever since Vivienne and I agreed on the new arrangement. It wasn’t easy, trying to juggle my work and getting everything ready for Vince and Vera. But I wanted it to be perfect. I spent hours guiding the organizers fixing up their rooms, making sure every detail was just right. I wanted them to feel at home here, to know that this place was just as much theirs as it was mine.The day had finally come, and as I stood in the hallway, waiting for the kids to finish examining the house, I felt nervous and excited at the same time. I wanted them to love it here. I wanted them to feel like they belonged.“Okay, are you two ready to see your rooms?” I asked, trying to keep the anticipation out of my voice.Vera’s eyes lit up, and she practically bounced on her f
EZEKIEL“No, Dad, that’s not how you do it!” Vera giggled, reaching over to adjust the way I was holding the dolls.We were now on the floor of Vera’s new room. I had a Barbie doll in each hand, trying my best to mimic what I thought was Barbie's behavior. Vera was sitting across from me, her eyes wide with amusement as she watched me struggle to make the dolls interact.I didn’t know that being a father would make me do this but fuck it. I’ll do anything to please my daughter anyway. “Barbie has to talk like this.” Vera made her voice high-pitched and sweet, giving an exaggerated smile as she moved her Barbie doll around. “See? Like this.”I couldn’t help but chuckle at how serious she was about it. “Got it,” I said, trying to mimic her tone. “Like this?” Oh Lord!I made my doll talk in the way she showed me, and Vera nodded approvingly.“Much better!” she exclaimed, clearly pleased with my improvement. It wasn’t easy for me to play like this. I wasn’t used to it, and honestly,
EZEKIEL"How was their first day?" Vivienne asked.I was standing outside the kids' rooms with my phone pressed to my ear as I spoke quietly with Vivienne. I wanted to check on them before calling it a night. I glanced toward Vera's room, where the door was slightly ajar. "Well, Vera had me and Brooks, playing with Barbies earlier," I said, trying to keep my tone light.Vivienne laughed, and for some reason, it made my heart leap. For a moment, I closed my eyes, letting the sound wash over me. God, I missed her laugh. It had been a long time since I’d heard her laugh like that, and I couldn’t help but appreciate it more than I was allowed to. "Poor Brooks," she chuckled, "I can only imagine his face."I grinned as I recalled Brooks’ pained expression while he awkwardly held a doll in each hand, trying to follow Vera’s detailed instructions. "Yeah, he didn’t have much of a choice. Vera’s very persuasive.""That sounds like her.”I pushed the door to Vera’s room a bit more so that
VINCE FELT BAD about how he acted toward his dad. He didn’t mean to shout at him. He was just surprised when he saw Ezekiel looking at his wallpaper. Vince’s heart started to beat faster as he wondered if Ezekiel noticed that the font on his desktop wallpaper was the same one he used when he hacked the Harrington Luxe website.As soon as Ezekiel left the room, Vince sat up in bed. He went to his desk again and grabbed his laptop to open it. He quickly changed his wallpaper to something different—a picture of a forest. He wanted to be sure no one could ever figure out the connection.After he changed it, Vince felt a little better, but he still felt guilty. Vince knew his dad was just trying to help. He didn’t mean to be rude, but he was scared Ezekiel might have seen something he shouldn’t have.Vince put his laptop back on his desk and lay down again. He pulled the covers over his head and tried to sleep, hoping he could make it up to his dad tomorrow.EZEKIEL ARRIVED AT his office
VIVIENNE Seeing the pain in Ezekiel’s green eyes hurt me more than I expected. He tried to hide it, but I knew him too well. Although he was acting calm and collected, his words were filled with sadness, and it broke my heart to see him like that. I knew he wanted to be close to Vince, but hearing our son say he didn’t want to stay in his house must have been a heavy blow.“It’s just the first day, Ezekiel,” I said, trying to reassure him. “Vince just needs time to adjust. He’ll come around.”Ezekiel shook his head slightly and his lips formed a slight sad smile.“I don’t think so, Vienne. But really. It’s fine. I’ll be busy with work anyway. I wouldn’t be able to take care of the kids properly. It’s better if they stay with you.”I frowned, knowing he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Ezekiel had the kind of job where he could easily adjust his schedule if he wanted to. He was the CEO of Harrington Luxe, after all. He could delegate tasks, rearrange meetings, or even take some time
VINCE AND VERA sat at the kitchen table, each working on a letter for their dad. Vivienne stood nearby, watching over them to make sure they were doing everything correctly. Vera was focused, her tongue slightly sticking out as she carefully added stars to her letter. Her letter was colorful, with little stars drawn all around the edges, and her handwriting was neat and playful.Meanwhile, Vince kept his letter plain and straightforward. He wasn’t much for decorations, and his letter reflected that. It was simple, just a few sentences expressing his feelings. His handwriting was a bit more serious, but that was just Vince’s way.“Mom,” Vera asked, holding up her letter proudly, “Is this okay? I added stars for it to be more pretty!”Vivienne smiled warmly at her. “It’s perfect, sweetheart. Your dad’s gonna love it.”“Yey!” Vera grinned and was clearly pleased with her mom’s approval. Then Vince looked up from his letter. He was a bit more hesitant compared to his sister. “What about
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