Abel rubbed the back of his neck and continued, “I brought her to the Spencers’ home, but when I saw your car parked there, I knew she would snap. Seeing you and Anna together would break her completely, and that’s exactly what happened. She ran out, crying and falling apart.” Taking a deep breath, he added, “She begged me not to take her back to her place, so I didn’t. I took her to my apartment. We drank more while trying to drown it all out. And then…” Damien’s patience snapped. “Fuck you, Abel!” he yelled, his voice reverberating through the room. Anger and disbelief flashed within him as he stared at his friend while barely able to contain his frustration. Regina was the last woman on planet that he should have touched. Not because of his own equation with her because of the complications that surround her. Damien’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. “Have you completely lost your goddamn mind? We have always understood you, Abel, always respected your decisions, b
“Anna!” “Yes, Addy?” Anastasia replied as Adeline, who was in the living room, came looking for her best friend. Adeline said, “My agent just called me. She wants me to meet this client.” Anastasia frowned. “Didn’t you say you were not taking any projects for the time being?” Adeline muttered, “I wish, but my agent wants to utilize my time as much as possible. I mean, I have done a few projects that will be released by the end of this month. After that, I haven’t signed any contracts. You know how it is every day, there is someone more interesting and beautiful. I will be irrelevant by the end of my pregnancy if I am not active.” Anastasia nodded, understanding her situation. “I get your concerns. It would be so unfair if you had to leave your career because of your pregnancy. But the question is, do you want to announce your pregnancy? I have seen celebrities getting even more famous while pregnant.” Adeline sighed. “Anna, I have this bad feeling. If I tell more people abo
Moments later, a middle-aged woman entered and noticed the young woman shivering in the corner. Concerned, she approached her carefully while kneeling down. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. Adeline looked up with tear-streaked eyes, unable to hold back her emotions. She didn’t know why, but in that moment, she missed Poppy and Austin so much. She also longed for Anastasia. She felt utterly shaken and vulnerable at this moment. The middle-aged woman placed a comforting hand on Adeline’s shoulder. “Child, are you okay?” she repeated gently. She saw that Adeline was not looking fine and as a woman, she felt that it was her duty to help a person in need. Overcome with emotion, Adeline clung to the woman’s leg while tears streaming down her face. With one arm, she hugged the woman’s leg tightly, while the other cradled her stomach protectively. Fear overwhelmed her. Why hadn’t she listened to her intuition and stayed home? She could have lost her baby just now. “Dear, are you with
“Anastasia Spencer?” “Mrs. Arnello?” Anastasia recognized her immediately. “You know Delilah?” Adeline asked, her tone curious. “She is Ronan’s mom,” Anastasia explained. “Oh…” Adeline’s expression shifted into something unreadable. Anastasia’s focus sharpened. “Did you say Eleanor Scuderi pushed you?” Adeline nodded, frustration was evident on her face. “Not directly. It was her sidekick. She deliberately knocked into me, and when I asked her to be careful, she flipped it around and blamed me. Then she started insulting me, calling me fat and even accusing me of sleeping with producers and directors to get jobs.” Anastasia’s fists clenched. “And then?” She was going to beat up those bitches for hurting her best friend. Adeline was not just her bestfriend but family. These days, she had been overly protected of Adeline too and if one danger come to the latter, Anna goes whole mom mode. Adeline’s voice hardened. “I slapped her. She deserved it. But then she shoved me ag
Eleanor scoffed, pulling out her phone. “I don’t care who your ‘Madam’ is!” She dialled quickly and said, “Daddy, please come. Someone is bullying me.” Within minutes, chaos erupted as Politician Scuderi arrived, followed by national commandos and an entourage of security. Alongside them, Mr. Arnello and his guards entered the scene with matching intensity. Delilah, watching from a distance, sighed deeply. This is about to turn into a massive mess, she thought, deciding once again to stay out of it. “Daddy, she has hurting my friend!” Eleanor whined, pointing a trembling finger at Anastasia, who still had a firm grip on Ceecee’s hair. Politician Scuderi’s expression darkened as he turned to Anastasia. “Young lady, release her now, or I will have you arrested!” Anastasia met his threat with cold defiance. “I dare you.” “Guards! Remove her this instant!” Mr. Arnello commanded. Martial artists emerged from the shadows and advanced toward Anastasia. But before they could rea
Back at Damien’s mansionWhen Damien arrived home, the house felt unusually quiet. Neither his wife nor Adeline was there. Mrs. Luna informed him that Anastasia hadn’t returned from the office yet, and Adeline had gone out for work. Left alone, he decided to head to the gym, where he found Caleb practicing the moves he had taught him during their last session.Atleast, someone was home. “Hey, buddy. When did you get here?” Damien asked, his voice warm. He had grown so accustomed to Caleb’s presence in his home that, without realizing it, he had embraced the role of a father figure. Caleb, for his part, already saw Anastasia as a mother. Finally, Caleb was keeping the fences around his heart down and letting these two people come inside. “I came after school,” Caleb replied with a shrug. “I missed you guys.” Damien suppressed a smile and nodded. “Alright, let’s practice some more.” As they worked out, Caleb paused and asked, “When will Anna and Addy be back?” Damien sighed, wi
Mr. Arnello slammed his hand against the table, crashing the decorations to the floor. He was so angry and Delilah, who was used to his anger, did not flinch. “How dare she!” he roared, his fury directed at Anastasia Spencer and her father. The thought of being humiliated and forced to pay five million because of them burned like acid in his chest. “That crippled old man and his brat of a daughter, unbelievable!” “Matt!” Delilah’s voice cut through his tirade. He turned to her, his face twisted with anger. “Did you see what happened today?” “I did,” she said firmly, crossing her arms. “And maybe if you weren’t so biased, you would see the bigger picture too!” Matteo’s jaw clenched. “That little Spencer girl—” he began, his voice was a venomous snarl. “How dare she cause a rift between our families! She—” The shrill ring of the home phone interrupted him. Delilah moved to answer it, her face paled slightly as she listened to the voice on the other end. “Matt,” she said, ha
Damien arrived at an abandoned property on the outskirts of town. The place looked abandoned, the kind of place one would pass without a second glance. He walked up to the door and rang the bell. Once. Twice. Ten times. Finally, the door creaked open, revealing a dishevelled Ronan. “You look like shit,” Damien said, tossing a bottle of whiskey to him. Ronan caught it instinctively and rasped, “What are you doing here?” “Came to find you, asshole,” Damien replied, brushing past him to step inside. Oh, the inside of the house was not as bad as the inside. Someone had made it livable. Ronan, too exhausted to argue, stared at the bottle in his hands. “Are you gonna drink this?” Damien rolled his eyes. “Anna would kill me first before diabetes would kill me, if I did drink it.” Ronan chuckled dryly and asked, “Why are you so scared of your girlfriend?” Damien smirked. “Actually, she is my wife.” Ronan blinked, his momentary exhaustion was replaced by shock. “What… when? How
It was the 80th birthday of Matriarch Callahan, and dignitaries from across the globe had flown in to celebrate the grand occasion. The weight of organizing such a significant gala rested on the capable shoulders of Damien and Anastasia, leaving them with no room for error.In the backseat of the luxury car, Claire sat poised like the picture-perfect wife, adorned in the finest clothes and glittering jewels. Her carefully composed demeanour, however, was a façade.Harold glanced at her sternly. “Be on your best behaviour tonight.”If not for the important gala tonight, she would still be in the lock-up at Spencer's house. He could not come to Anastasia’s in-law's house without his picture-perfect wife by his side. This would raise questions among people of their high society. Claire pouted, leaning toward him in offence. “Hubby, don’t you trust me?”He didn’t hesitate. “Not after what you did to Regina. No.”Her expression hardened but she quickly masked it with a fake smile. “I was
Damien noticed the furrowed brow and the unmistakable worry etched across Anastasia's face as she stared at the screen before her. He stepped closer, his voice calm but laced with concern. “What is wrong? Are you worried about something?”Anastasia turned to him, her expression conflicted. “Regina is investigating my mom,” she said, her tone tinged with disbelief.Damien’s brow shot up in surprise. “Regina? Investigating Fiona?” He tilted his head slightly, puzzled. “Why? She has never shown any interest in Fiona before. What has changed all of a sudden?”Anastasia shook her head. “I don’t know why she would want to dig into my mom’s past. It doesn’t make sense. Regina’s behaviour has been odd lately, like not sticking to her usual script.”Damien’s frown deepened. “Is she only looking into Fiona?”“Not just her,” Anastasia explained, leaning back in her chair. “She is investigating everyone. Fiona, Claire, and even Claire’s past before she married Harold. She is trying to piece toget
Later, Abel walked into the hospital room and found Regina sitting patiently on the bed, scrolling through her iPad. He smiled hesitantly. “Hi.”Regina looked up, setting the device aside. “Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked gently.Abel rubbed the back of his neck, his expression conflicted. “You are probably thinking the baby’s father is completely hopeless. I’m sorry. I was just... startled. So many scenarios were running through my mind. I never imagined I would end up in the same situation as Ronan.”Regina raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Is it really that bad?”“No…” he said quickly, shaking his head. “It’s just... I don’t know. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. There are so many emotions hitting me all at once, and... I’m sorry, Regina.”She smiled warmly at him, her tone soothing. “I understand. Don’t feel guilty. You didn’t run away, and that is more than enough for me.”Abel sighed in relief, her words easing some of his tension. “Thank you for t
“Is he okay?” Regina asked the doctor, her voice was filled with both amusement and embarrassment. She couldn’t believe Abel had fainted when he found out about her pregnancy. He had always acted so tough, talking like he could handle anything, but when it came down to it, he was all talk, like a paper tiger.The doctor reassured her, “He is fine. He just needs a little time to recover.” Then, the doctor seemed to shift focus. “Miss Spencer, I need to talk to you about something. I was reviewing your family’s medical history and noticed that you made a mistake when filling out a form.”Regina felt a knot in her stomach. She hadn’t been feeling well that day and maybe, just maybe, she had made the mistake in a hurry or out of confusion.The doctor continued, “It’s no problem. Let me get the correct information, and I will update it in the system.” The doctor took out a notepad and pen, ready to write down the right details.Regina nodded, trying to shake off her unease. “Okay,” she sai
Regina was lying in her hospital bed, feeling weak and confused, when the door suddenly opened. She looked up and saw someone entering, her heart racing with worry. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a panicked voice, her mind racing with questions.Did he knew that she was pregant? She was suddenly so concerned about her secret. Abel, looking concerned, walked over to her bedside. “Why are you here? What happened to you? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.Regina's eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. “Why are you here?” she repeated, still in shock.Abel hesitated for a moment before answering. “I was just worried about you,” he said. “Damien told me that you were hospitalised, that someone tried to hurt you. Who did this? I swear, I’m going to beat that woman black and blue.” His anger was evident as he spoke, his fists clenching at the thought of anyone hurting her.Regina, frustrated and exhausted, responded sharply. “It was my mother.”Abel stared
"Eat slowly! No one will snatch your food from you," Austin said, watching his beautiful but messy sister gobble down sushi. She was on her 10th piece, and for a woman who had just given birth, she sure had a lot of energy."What if they do?" Adeline replied, chewing with her mouth full.Ronan, sitting beside her, gently wiped her mouth with his handkerchief. "Take it easy. I won’t let anyone touch your food."After the labour, they two of them had gotten pretty close and everyone with two eyes could see that the air between them had shifted. Since Austin was quite happy, he did not say anything to Ronan, the bastard. "Where is Anna?" Adeline asked, looking around the room. Ever since she gave birth, her best friend only came once to hug her and congratulate her and after a few minutes, Damien came. Both of them did not come together as she was hoping. Austin let out a sigh. "She is outside, pacing back and forth. She is convinced someone’s going to steal your baby.""Is Damien with
"It's a boy!"Someone shouted, and the entire waiting room burst into cheers and clapping. Anastasia and Damien immediately hugged each other. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she couldn’t find the right words to describe what she was feeling. It was like pure magic. A mix of overwhelming joy and relief. Despite her excitement, she had been more afraid of this day than Adeline herself.Her best friend was too weak. She was scared that she might loose her best friend. But now that everything went without a hitch, she could breathe and celebrate with everyone like she always wanted to do. On the other side of the room, Giovanni and Austin hugged each other in celebration, though the moment quickly turned awkward.“Sorry,” they muttered in unison.“It’s okay,” they both said at the same time, laughing as they hugged again. They were overjoyed about their sibling becoming a parent, and nothing could dampen that.Anastasia turned to the nurse with concern. “How is Adeline?”“She is doing
On the other hand, Damien was stunned to learn about Regina’s pregnancy. As she asked the doctor to check on her baby, he was frozen in place, watching in a daze as the doctor bandaged the few cuts on Regina’s body from Claire’s beating.“One of the babies is slightly hurt, Miss Spencer,” the doctor said, after reviewing the ultrasound image.Regina couldn’t hold back her fear and tears. She asked, “Will she be okay?”“We will do our best,” the doctor reassured her. “I suggest you get some bed rest for a while.”The doctor hesitated for a moment, then looked at Damien before continuing, “If you are suffering any kind of abuse…”Regina quickly interjected, “He is not the baby’s father. He is family.”The doctor nodded in relief. “Please report the abuse and take care of yourself. You are in a very delicate situation.”The doctor then added, “You are borderline anemic. I will put you on the blood transfusion list.” She handed Regina a form. “Please fill this out.”Regina looked at the f
Anastasia glared at Claire and said, "Have you lost your mind?"Claire's fury only escalated when she saw who was speaking. Madness flickered in her eyes as she retorted, "Now you will tell me how to treat my own daughter? Who the hell do you think you are?"If there was one person that Claire hated more than anything in his life, it was Fiona and his spawn! If she wished, she would kill this bitch! Anastasia glanced at Regina who looked pale and fragile and was barely holding herself together. She turned to Damien and said, "Damien, please take her to a doctor first."She would not be kind to Regina but the fact that her step-sister was pregnant, she felt pity for her. As a human, she could not see fellow humans suffering. Maybe? She knew that she was not that great of a person yet she could not see Regina in this condition. Damien hesitated, his gaze shifting between Anastasia and Regina. It was unusual for his wife to care about Regina or even ask him to help her. What had change