โWhy havenโt you said anything to me if you donโt like taking medicine?โ He asked in a soft voice, โWe could have found a solution to that. Because nothing is wrong with you and the baby now does not mean that there wonโt be complications later if you keep up like this.โSince his hand was under her chin, she could not look down. Her eyes darted away from his as she felt shame lick at her insides because she knew that he was right. There must be a reason the doctor was giving her the drugs, so it might actually affect her or her babyโs health.โHey,โ he turned her face using her chin so that she had no other choice than to take her eyes back to his, โWe will find a solution to that. For now, you need to drink this one so that youโll get better.โAriella could not help it, she cringed inwardly, and her face squeezed into a tight frown. She might feel ashamed and might even agree with him that not taking her drugs would affect her and the baby later on but that did not mean she was read
The sun was high up in the sky and shining directly on her face when Ariella opened her eyes the next morning. She squinted with a deep groan and cursed whoever opened the blinds in her heart as she used her hand to cover her face before struggling into a sitting position.Her head snapped to the side when she heard low music and her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open in utter shock when she saw who was sitting on a sofa in the corner of her room and scrolling through her phone.โMariam?โ Ariella called slowly, not believing her eyes. She felt like she was in a dream because if not, how else would Mariam be inside her room in Kelvinโs house.Mariamโs head snapped up and a wide smile appeared on her, โYou are finally awake. I thought you were going to sleep the whole day away. Itโs two in the afternoon already.โโTwo in the afternoon?โ Ariella asked in disbelief as her eyes went to the clock on the wall to check the time, thinking that Mariam was pulling her legs but it was really tw
โMariam!โ Ariella exclaimed as her eyes popped out in shock, โWhat the hell,โMariam had the grace to look innocent as she asked, โWhat? Itโs just a little question,โโItโs not a little question. What would you even ask that?โโWhy wonโt I ask it? Have you seen the man? He is so fucking hot,โ Mariam used her hand to fan herself, โHe came into the dining room this morning. Believe me when I say I would have jumped him if he wasnโt your baby daddy,โโGood Lord,โ Ariella groaned as she slapped her hand against her forehead. โGirl, please stop.โ Mariam rolled her eyes at Ariellaโs action, โSeeing him up close made me realize why Hannah is obsessed and had refused to let him go. Let me tell you something, thatโs a complete man right there, a total package, it would be your loss if you let him go.โโHeโs not mine in the first place so there is no letting go and I have nothing to lose,โโSometimes I do wish you were not my friend so that I can beat sense into your empty skull,โAriella just
โNow letโs talk properly!โ These words were not completely out of Mariamโs mouth when Ariellaโs phone on the bed stand began to vibrate.Mariam was the one who reached out to pick it up and she frowned when she saw the name displayed on the screen, โIt says doctor Mitchell,โAriellaโs heart began to beat in fear immediately she heard that doctor Mitchell was the one calling. In the past, doctor Mitchellโs call was usually about how her mothers health was deteriorating and how she needed to move faster in paying for the surgery. She usually got scared anytime doctor Mitchell called her because she was always reminded that her mother was dying in the hospital and there was nothing she could do about it because she was poor.That time has passed. She had paid for the surgery and her mother was fine and recovering well in the VIPs room that Kelvin had moved her into. Maybe her mother wanted to reach her as she has not visited for days so she asked doctor Mitchell for help.Ariella told he
Ariella's heart jumped to her mouth and she began to feel like bending over to puke her guts, but she swallowed thickly and stepped back.โWhatโs wrong?โ Mariam asked, trying to look over Ariellaโs shoulder into the room, but Ariella shut the door and turned around to face her with a pale face.โMy mom is not here,โ Ariella shook her head before she was hurrying over to doctor Mitchellโs office.She cursed her breath while fighting the urge to lift her head, and scream loudly to the heavens when she bumped into a nurse. Why did she keep bumping into people today of all days? Just like she did with Maria, Ariella grabbed the nurseโs hand quickly to prevent her from falling to the ground.โIโm so sorry about that,โ Ariella apologized and just because she knew that she was not supposed to be running around in the hospital, she decided to ask about her mother. She has met this nurse in her motherโs room a couple of times so maybe the nurse would understand why she was in a hurry and migh
Arialla stood, still as a rock as she watched the men close her motherโs casket for one final time and began to slowly lower it into Mother Earth. She was never going to see her mother again, the thought was supposed to bring tears to her eyes but she was numb.Itโs been two weeks since her mother decided to give up on fighting for her life. Her mother finally decided to choose peace over the constant pain, drugs and emergency wardโs visits. After doctor Mitchell broke the news of her motherโs death to her, Ariella collapsed and if not for Kelvin who was standing behind her at that time and stopped her fall, she might have broken her skull.She was unconscious for a day and spent the following week on the hospitalโs bed because she went into shock and nearly lost her baby.Arialla wished that she did. She wished that it was the baby that was gone and not her mother. Why would the baby be here in the first place and not her mother when she only got the baby from trying to save her mot
Kelvin had this deer caught in the headlights look for a few seconds, and then it was gone. If not that Ariella had all her attention fixed on him, she would have missed it.โUhhm,โ Kelvin cleared his throat before he moved from where he was standing with Mariam down to where Ariella was. โI came up with a decision early this week, but of course I will need your yes in it.โโWhat decision?โ From the little she has heard from their discussion, she had an idea, but she would rather not be faster than her shadow.โI want you to go out of the country for a little while. Get some fresh air and be away from the city, and itโs chaos for a while. You canโโโCan what? Come back anytime I want?โ Ariella interrupted him, โWeโve spoken about this before and I made it known to you thatโฆโโAnd you made it known that you wonโt be leaving, but that was before. Before your mother died. Itโs for your own good. For your mental health.โโIโm fine,โ Ariella responded through gritted teeth.โI never said y
โHey, Ariella. You promised that weโll check this place out any time we come by. We have to do it today,โ Mariam was bouncing on her feet excitedly as she looked at Ariella with expectation.โIโฆMariam, you know that we cannotโฆโโCome on, Ariella,โ Mariam groaned, โDonโt get started on me about how this place looks so expensive and it would be wrong to keep using Kelvinโs money on expensive things.โโWell, you took the words right out of my mouth,โ Arialla said as she spun around to keep walking.โHey, hey,โ Mariam grabbed Ariellaโs forearm to stop her, โYou promised me, remember?โAriella placed her free hand on her forehead. She could already feel an oncoming headache. Mariam was not one to give up easily. How the hell did they even walk right through this place? Right. Mariam tricked her into it and because Ariella had forgotten about this place and her promise, she walked right into the trap.โLook, youโve got to stop feeling guilty about spending Kelvinโs money, heโs your husband
Sophiaโs POVThey did not know. I could see it in their eyes as they looked at one another and as they whispered. I knew that my mother and father could hear everything they were saying but these people seem to have forgotten as they continued to talk in hushed tones among themselves.It's been three days since my mother walked into my room and found me looking like I was well over thirty five years. She had immediately raised alarm and called my father into the room. He was just as shocked as we were when he saw my appearance. He stopped at the door as his jaw dropped open in shock before he rushed over to me and grabbed my face in his hands, his eyes wide in alarm as he turned my face left and right the same way mother did. Three days later, I looked like I was over forty five to fifty years old. The first day, we kept it a secret among the family as they tried to analyze the situation and check if I was using something that was making my face look old but nothing I had was harmful
Joanne's POVThe sun shone through my window early the next morning, throwing the light across my room. I woke up feeling refreshed but also aware of the chaos from the night before. My head was still buzzing with thoughts about Poppy and Collins. "I need to blend in today," I told myself as I got out of bed.After getting ready, I decided to keep things simple. I pulled on a comfortable outfit and tied my hair back. โJust a quiet day,โ I said, nodding at my reflection. โNothing too dramatic.โI made my way through the halls of the hotel, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention. As I walked, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Mia catching up.โJoanne!โ she called out, her face a mix of concern and fear. โIโm so glad I found you! I wanted to talk about what happened last night.โโHey, Mia!โ I replied, forcing a smile. โDonโt worry about it! Iโm fine.โโNo, I really need to apologize,โ she insisted, her hands waving in front of her. โI should have immediately when you saw al
Joanne's POV As the night wore on, I felt energy pulsating around me. The music, the laughterโall of it made me want to keep going. But I noticed Mia and Lila starting to sway a bit on their feet.โHey, you two,โ I said, waving them over. โAre you alright?โMia yawned dramatically. โI think itโs time for us to call it a night,โ she said, stifling another yawn. โIโm so tired!โโYeah, Iโm with you,โ Lila agreed, rubbing her eyes. โTonight was fun, but I canโt keep my eyes open.โโAlright, get some rest!โ I replied, grinning. โYou both deserve it after a long night of dancing!โMia smiled back. โThanks, Joanne. You did amazing tonight!โ โYeah, you really showed Poppy! I canโt wait to hear about all the chaos you plan to cause!โ Lila laughed, throwing her arms around me for a quick hug.โTrust me, I have plans for the next two weeks,โ I said with a smirk. โPoppyโs going to know exactly who sheโs dealing with.โโGood luck with that!โ Mia joked. โJust donโt let her drive you crazy!โโNeve
Joanne's POVI sat in the garden, tears pouring down my cheeks. The news about the tournament cancellation hit me hard, and I felt lost. After everything I had hoped for, this moment seemed unbearable. I tried to wipe my eyes, but every thought about the tournament made my heart sink deeper.โJoanne!โ I heard Silver call from a distance. I looked up and saw her rushing toward me, worry etched on her face.โWhatโs wrong?โ she asked, kneeling next to me. โYou look devastated!โโI am,โ I admitted, sniffing. โThey canceled the tournament! Everything I prepared for is gone!โโHey, hey! Donโt cry!โ Silver said, her tone soothing. โWipe those tears away. We need you calm down and see poor Cassian, he is a blubbering mess!โโI donโt even know how to feel,โ I said, my voice shaky. โIt was everything I wanted. Now itโs all up in flames!โโMaybe itโs not over yet!โ Silver said. โYou donโt know what might happen next.โโI canโt believe this,โ I whispered, struggling to calm down. Silver put her
JOANNE The maids went on to assign us to rooms as they read from their tablets our names and the room we were to be in. โI'm still quite surprised that you followed me all the way here,โ I whispered to Amara who stood beside me. โ You make it look like I haven't been here since,โ she replied. โ You know, you don't have to accompany me,โ I said, genuinely not wanting to burden her. Since this was a contest to select the bride for the Lycan King, we'd be staying at the palace until the contest is over. โ It's a little too much to be saying accompany, though you're not wrong,โ she nodded her head not wanting to admit that she was worried. โYou make me wonder if I'm weak,โ I mumbled. โI heard you by the way and you know that's not the case,โ she folded her arms. โI simply need to ensure that you are safe and I mean, knowing how unsociable you are, it would be a lot easier for you if you had your best friend with you,โ she gave me a thumbs up and
As Ariella moved from boutique to boutique, buying both the things she wanted and the things she needed, swiping Kelvinโs card here and there, it almost felt like the burden sheโs been carrying inside of her was lessening. It was the same as when people cut themselves to bleed out so that they could feel better.Her driver for today was not the one she was familiar with. Anytime she picked something, his eyes would widen but she did not care. She did not know if he was surprised because of the multiple things she was buying or the prices of these things. She was trying hard not to look at the price herself because anytime her eyes went to the price, she could feel her heart beating faster than normal in her chest. He was following her so closely like he was her bodyguard. Maybe Kelvin did care about his child after all. Sheโs never seen this man before so he might as well be a bodyguard disguised as her driver. This made her relax a whole lot and enjoy her shopping. She ignored Mar
Joanne's POV Silver had already left the room and I was as exhausted as fuck. I wanted to take a walk to clear my head After spending some time in the garden and then at the party, I finally made my way back to my room for probably the 100th time today. I slumped onto my bed, feeling a mix of exhaustion and lingering tension. The events of the day swirled in my mind, and I needed a moment to regroup.โUgh, what a day,โ I muttered to myself, staring up at the ceiling. I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. โMaybe talking to Nathan will help me clear my head.โI dialed his number and waited. It rang a couple of times before I heard his familiar voice. โHey, Joanne! Whatโs up?โโNathan! Just checking in,โ I said, smiling a little. โHow's everything back at home?โโBusy as usual,โ he replied, sounding cheerful. โDad is still buried in those pack reports, you know how he is. But Mom misses you! She keeps asking when youโll be back.โโI miss her too! I canโt wait to see h
The people around them let out loud gasps of surprise at the same time Kyra did.Her hand slowly lifted to touch her burning cheek as she winced in disbelief. โHow dare you suggest that we find a way to clean up my dress? We? Clean? Do you know how much I got this dressed? It was tailored just for me to wear to this party, yet you ruined it by walking around like a blind bat!โ The lady yelled, her face creasing with angry lines.Kyra was still dumbfounded by the slap that she just kept on staring at the lady without a word making its way past her lips. โWhat? Cat got your tongue now?โ The lady continued to yell as if oblivious to the fact that all attention was on them or that Anton was now walking down to where she and Kyra were standing. โJust a few days ago you were sold off like a slave because you shamelessly went to get yourself pregnant with Tristanโs child, and today you think you are a princess again because Alpha Anton bought you and brought you to this party? Better think
โIโve been how many years since he passed and Iโm truly sorry that none of us his family has reached out to you since then,โ Priscilla said but it was after a moment of silence. Ariell rolled her eyes as she clutched the phone tighter against her ear. She hoped that pricialia would get to the point quickly but the other woman was silent as if she was waiting for her to say something. Ariella had nothing she wanted to say so she also remained quiet and the only noise in the room was the sound of her breathing. As if finally noticing that Ariella was not ready to say anything, Priscilla continued. โEverybody got so busy with life and work and then we forgot about our family. Ariella, I know that you must hate us but please we would be so happy if you will honor this invitation and grace us with your presence,โ Ariellaโs brows went up in question, โWhat invitation?โ She asked before she could stop herself. Her brow scrunched up and she bit her lips, cussing herself for even asking. โ