Karl “What should I do with this, Sir?” I look up to see one of the servants standing over me, holding a box of books. Upon looking through the books, I can see that they’re titles I’ll never read again, so I shrug and wave my hand. “You can add it to the donation pile,” I say, indicating a pi
“Brother,” Ethan says, walking into the room. “I’m glad to have caught you before you left.” I nod my head and clasp forearms with my brother. “Ethan,” I say, then nod politely, albeit stiffly, at Gianna. “Gianna.” Much to my surprise, Gianna politely dips her head. She’s clasping her arms acros
Abby Despite the warm spring weather and the golden glow of the city lights at night, the restaurant feels more imposing than ever as I stare up at it. I take in a shuddering breath, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill. Not tonight. I won’t cry tonight. A warm hand slips into
Ethan chuckles. “I’ll certainly do my best.” “That’s all I can ask for.” We sip our drinks for a few more moments in companionable silence. It’s hard to believe that it’s come to this; Ethan is the new CFO and head manager of the restaurant. I’m still technically the owner, but I’ll hardly b
Abby The air is sweet and heavy with the scent of blooming flowers as the three of us step off of the helicopter. Leah, who has only seen this place in pictures, looks around with an expression of wonder in her eyes as she takes in the sunlit scene. “Wow,” she breathes, stepping forward with
Karl The sun outside is high in the sky as I look out the window, my cheek in my hand. On the table in front of me is a massive book outlining not only the history of my family, but also the island chain that we’ve supposedly ruled for centuries. It’s been almost two months since we made the
Abby The paint sloshes in the can as I pour it out into the tray, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow with the other hand. “Just three more walls to go,” Leah says. “And then…” “And then another coat,” I add with a laugh. “But we can do that another day.” After I’ve finished pouring the pain
Karl “Like your mother.” Reginald’s words leave me somewhat taken aback. After all, how can I be like my mother if I’ve never even met her? “I’m sorry,” I say, shaking my head slightly, “but could you elaborate?” Reginald chuckles and nods at the same time. “Let’s get Eva back in her
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha