“Seriously, Frank,” I say, my voice insistent, not letting him make a joke to get out of it. “Are you…how are you feeling?”“I feel,” he says, smiling a little and raising his eyes to me. “Proud of my son, and desperately in love with you.” He lifts a hand then, cupping the back of my head as he lea
“Oh!” Leo says, breaking into a grin and rushing back to me, his rifle bouncing on his back. “Sorry!”“Don’t be sorry, babes,” I murmur, handing my son his water bottle and then snatching him close to me for another hug. “Just stay hydrated and make sure your dad has some too.”“Come on, Leo!” Frank
My breath stops in my throat as I stare, wide eyed, at the man standing at the door, his hands sunk deep in his pockets, his face cold. That dark, slightly tousled hair - those piercing grey-blue eyes…Christian.Christian. He…he found me. Found us.Terror runs through me like a wild animal.Christ
“He loves me, Christian,” I growl, fierce and loyal. “I –““Oh, I don’t doubt that he loves you,” Christian says, turning back to me slightly and looking at me over his shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he? You’re still gorgeous, Iris, even after five years and two kids. You’ve always been far, far above his
Nico steps through the door with Leo’s hand held tight in his own. I look up and moan at the sight of my little boy, who looks frightened and scared, his face pale and –And flecked with blood –I reach for him, crying his name, and Leo breaks from Nico, dashing for me, throwing himself into my lap
“This entire life was a lie, Iris,” Christian insists, his voice steely. “You’re mine, my wife, whether you like it or not. And I’m taking you home.”Nico stands back, watching silently, his face a mask of indifference. I realize he’s not here to comfort me; he’s here to enforce Christian’s will.I
A few days later, the world outside the limousine blurs past in a haze of color and noise. Inside, a heavy silence envelops us. I hold Daisy tightly in my arms, her small frame trembling slightly, while Leo sits beside me, his eyes wide with uncertainty. He hasn’t said much in the past few days as h
“I’m Leo,” my brave boy says, setting his shoulders back and reaching out a hand. Bianca laughs as she takes it in both of her own, beaming at the boy, clearly immediately seeing the affinity between Leo and his father, between Leo and her own son.“Leo, I’m your Auntie Bianca,” she says, grinning.
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I