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