VIVIENNE“W-Why did you call?” I asked, trying to steady my voice as I answered Ezekiel’s call.For a moment, I went to the counter to answer his call properly and to avoid the guys who were trying to dance with me earlier. I couldn't help but wonder why he called right when I asked for a sign. My heart beat faster, and I felt confused. Was it just a coincidence? It seemed too perfect to be random. Maybe it meant something. Maybe there was still something between us worth figuring out. Despite all the problems and hurt, could this be a chance to see if we could make things work again? The timing felt too strange to ignore.“I wanted to ask if I could visit the kids right now. I bought them some gifts,” Ezekiel said, his voice calm but hesitant.I felt a pang of disappointment. Somehow, I had hoped there was more to his call than just the kids. “They’re with their grandparents,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is that all?”There was a brief pause. “I hear a lot of noise
EZEKIELWhen Vivienne looked at me with those green eyes of hers, I couldn’t help but feel the heat. Her sleepy drunken eyes were making me horny and hard for some reason. Alright. Enough with my dirty thoughts. I shook my head and focused on helping Vivienne. “Let’s go to your room,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm as I looked at her. But she was drunk and stubborn, shaking her head and pulling away from me.“No… I’m fine… I can walk,” she slurred, though her steps were anything but steady.I sighed. There was no use in arguing with her in this state. So, without thinking twice, I scooped her up into my arms, carrying her like a bride. For a moment, I saw surprise flash in her eyes, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she let out a small, tired laugh and rested her head against my chest.As I carried her down the hallway, memories of our honeymoon flooded my mind. I remembered carrying her just like this, her laughter echoing in my ears as we stumbled into our suite. We were s
VIVIENNEYou know you’re fucked up when after drinking, you suddenly have a burst of confidence within you. And that was what I felt when I pulled Ezekiel for a kiss. His lips felt addicting and I didn’t think it was possible for me to stop kissing him anymore. I didn’t think it was still possible for me to stand up after I gave in. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as Ezekiel kissed me for the second time after I triggered him. Kissing him was never in my plans. But I just felt like doing so. I knew I would regret this when I sobered up tomorrow but fuck it! I don’t give a fucking care anymore. It was probably the alcohol’s fault but I didn’t want to stop. I could hear the sound of our kisses because the room was quiet. My heart raced, particularly as he went on top of me.His lips slowly moved away from mine to kiss my neck all the way down to my jaw. It got even more exciting with his tiny stubbles. I turned my head unconsciously to provide him greater access.“Are you sure
VIVIENNEThe next day, I woke up with my head feeling heavy and my thoughts still fuzzy from the night before. I blinked my eyes open and then suddenly… realized where I was—my hotel room. Memories from last night came rushing back. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment especially when it started to sink into my head everything that I did while I was drunk. Oh shit, did I really do that?!Although I could still remember everything that I did last night, realizing them now felt shameful. Okay… so not only I had kissed Ezekiel. I even encouraged him to have sex with me! Great, Vivienne. Just great!My heart raced as I buried my face in my hands, feeling the heat in my cheeks intensify. How could I have let that happen?I glanced around the room, noticing that Ezekiel wasn't beside me. Did he leave already?Somehow, a part of me was relieved, thinking that maybe it would be easier to deal with this if he was gone. But another part of me, a smaller, quieter part, felt slightly disappo
AS THE KIDS burst into the room, their energy filled the space. They made it impossible for Ezekiel and Vivienne to continue their awkward silence. Both exchanged quick, nervous side-eyes, neither sure what to say or how to react. Vera, with her boundless enthusiasm, immediately jumped into Ezekiel's arms.“Dad, you’re here!” Vera's voice was full of excitement as she clung to him. “When did you get here?”Ezekiel instinctively held her close, but his eyes drifted toward Vivienne, searching for a cue. Through his eyes, he tried to ask Vivienne. What should he say? How should he explain this? Vivienne caught his gaze, her eyes wide with uncertainty. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice."H-He just arrived," Vivienne finally stuttered, trying to save Ezekiel from her daughter’s question. Her words came out unevenly as she glanced between Vera and Ezekiel.Ezekiel gave a slight nod, silently agreeing with the cover story. Vera didn’t seem to notice the stress between them as s
“LET’S GO TO your room for a bit, kids? Is that okay? You’ve had a busy day,” Alice Lancaster smiled softly at her grandchildren. She then held out her hand.Vera, still excited, grabbed her grandmother’s hand right away. “Can we play with the toys you got us?”“Of course,” Alice replied, leading the kids to their room. “We can play for a little while, and then maybe read a story.”Vince hesitated, glancing back at his parents. “But we just arrived. And we missed Mom. Can’t we stay, Grandma?” he argued. “Your grandpa wants to talk to your parents privately, Vince. Maybe later.” With what his grandma said, Vince didn’t say anything anymore. Instead, he followed his sister and grandmother, the door closing quietly behind them.With the kids gone, the room felt heavier. As soon as the door to their room closed, the atmosphere in the living room grew tense. Vivienne stood by the couch, her hands nervously held together. Ezekiel was near the edge of the couch, shifting from one foot to
VIVIENNE“Why did we have to leave Paris so suddenly, Mom?” Vince asked, his brow furrowed with confusion.Right after what happened in Paris, I decided to take the kids back to New York. Yes. Immediately. With that, Vince and Vera couldn’t help but ask questions.“Yeah, Mom,” Vera chimed in, looking equally puzzled. “We didn’t even finish our classes there.”My throat ran dry because of their questions. I wasn’t sure if I could answer them honestly but I needed to keep my cool. “D-Didn’t you miss your friends here in New York?” I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. “And besides, summer vacation is almost over. You’ll want to be settled back in before school starts again.”“But I wasn’t done with my soccer class too,” Vince argued, crossing his arms. “Coach said I was doing really well. I wanted to finish it.”“And I still had a few dance lessons left,” Vera added, a slight pout forming on her lips while hugging the new Barbie doll that her father gave her before we left Pa
EZEKIELAs I paced around my penthouse, I dialed Brooks, my assistant. The phone rang a couple of times before he picked up.“Morning, Mr. Harrington,” Brooks greeted with a chipper tone as always.“Morning, Brooks,” I replied. “Did the flowers get delivered to Vivienne?”To be honest, I was shocked when I found out that Vivienne and the kids suddenly went back to New York without telling me. I was confused, maybe even a little hurt. But I tried to see it from her side. Maybe she needed space or was trying to figure things out on her own. I could understand that. But I couldn’t help but feel like she was testing me, seeing if I’d just let it go. Well, if that’s what she’s doing, then I’ll take it as a challenge. I’ve still got a lot to deal with here in Paris, but it can wait. The moment I found out she left, I didn’t think twice—I booked a flight to New York. Then I asked my assistant to send her a bouquet of her favorite flowers to let her know that I’d follow her anywhere she go
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