Anastasia’s eyes filled with disbelief and anger. “We broke up because you always chose Regina over me. Every time.”Damien clasped his hands together as if pleading, “That’s not true, Anna. I always loved you. You were my only priority. You were the one I wanted and the one I fought for. Why couldn’t you see that? I came to London, begging you for another chance, and you didn’t even give me that. You shut me out. You broke us.”“I left because I couldn’t keep watching you let her inch closer and closer to you everytime,” she shot back, her voice shaking. “I needed to protect myself, Damien, because you never did.”Anastasia’s voice broke as angry tears streamed down her face. “I was fifteen when I fell in love with you, Damien. I loved you so much. But I was never your priority. It was always Regina. In the beginning, I tolerated her because she came into your life first. You were childhood friends, and I tried to accept that. But I hated her and her mother, not just because my father
Their kiss was full of anger as their emotions raw and untamed at the moment. His hands moved down from her neck to her shoulders while tugging at the fabric of her dress. Frustrated by the restriction of the fabric, he tore it and she was too lost in the moment to care. All she wanted at this moment was to feel him all over his skin. The distance of three days was too much on her soul and she needed to feel him to be closer to him, as close as possible. If possible she wanted to seep inside his skin and flow in his bloodstream. His lips trailed from her chin to her ears and down her neck, leaving a heated path as he nibbled at her skin.Anastasia’s hands scrambled for something to hold onto as she was desperate for support. She needed to hold something or the weight of his kisses would weaken Suddenly, she knocked over a night lamp and sent it crashing to the floor.The sound jolted them both out of their stupor and the sudden reality of the situation hit them like a cold wave. They
Damien woke up alone in his bed the next morning and was immediately irritated. Waking up by himself wasn’t what he had in mind. As the memories of the previous night flooded back, desire pulsed through his veins. He quickly got dressed and went downstairs, only to find that his wife was nowhere in sight once again. However, to his surprise, Mrs. Luna was back at work.“Good morning,” he greeted her before asking, “Where is my wife?”Mrs. Luna raised an eyebrow mentally, not daring to show her surprise. What had changed between the couple while she was away? Damien never used to ask about Anastasia, yet today, he referred to her as his "wife."“Madam left early this morning. She didn’t mention where she was headed,” Mrs. Luna replied.Damien glanced at the breakfast table and sat down, lost in thought for a moment. After pondering for a bit, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Where is my wife?”Moments later, he discovered that Anastasia was at the A&A Fashion House office. S
Adeline pulled her into a hug. “And if you do end up divorcing him, I swear I will raise you until the end of time.”Anastasia pouted, trying to lighten the mood. “What if I turn into that bitter divorcée who lives with a bunch of cats and is mean to everyone?”Adeline tightened the hug. “I would still love you to death, you crazy cat lady.”Adeline’s eyes widened in surprise. “By the way, what was Damien’s reaction in the morning? Did he say anything?”Anastasia shifted uncomfortably. “I left before he was awake.”Adeline looked at her with her mouth agape. “Are you a jerk?”Anastasia furrowed her brows, confused. “What do you mean?”“If a guy sleeps with you, and you wake up to find the room empty, what would you think?” Adeline pressed.A wave of realization washed over Anastasia. Oh my God, what have I done? She felt a pang of guilt. He wouldn’t mind, would he?“Anna, darling, he might be hurt. Not that I care but I don’t encourage this behavior. If a guy did this to you, I would c
Carolyn called Damien while they were on their way to their mansion. He wasn’t surprised to hear from his mother as she had been bombarding him with messages insisting that he needed to to return to normal. Carolyn was not a risk-taker and she believed that Harold still posed a threat to the Callahan family. While the Spencer conglomerate remained powerful, it was merely a shell of its former self. The Callahans had gained considerable prominence over the last ten years and would not be ruined by Harold Spencer just like that.If Harold decided to wage a war with him, both of them would get brutually wounded. Damien could tell that his mother was making a bigger deal out of the situation which had left his grandmother quite concerned. He understood the ins and outs of what was happening. His grandmother didn’t have much knowledge about the shifts in power during these years but Carolyn was leveraging the situation to her advantage. If she wanted him to marry Regina, she needed to cre
“Anastasia, what are your plans for the future?” Madam Callahan asked. “You are participating in the Scarlet Hearts. I talked to Edward Wright recently and he was of all talks of you. You seemed to have impressed him.” Anastasia did not understand if Damien’s grandmother was praising her genuinely or had an ulterior motive. “I plan to work for the company I am still working in,” Anastasia answered. “Why should you work for someone else’s company? Your father has his own company. Should you not contribute to family?” Madam Callahan said. “That is my father’s company,” Anastasia said. “And I am a designer. What can I possibly do there? The field I am interested in is already managed by his step-daughter. I have no intentions of touching it.” “Why don’t you work for our company?” Madam Callahan asked. “Mom!” Carolyn whispered. Anastasia looked at Damien and answered, “I am happy where I am at the moment.” When the dinner ended, the conversation followed to the living room. A maid
The day after Anastasia and Damien returned from his house, she received an unexpected call. It was from her father who was asking her to come home for a meeting. She refused, saying she wouldn’t go back to his house but was willing to meet him elsewhere. Her father, Harold, then asked her to come to his office.Drressd in an elegant skirt and matching blouse from the collection Adeline and Lovelina had picked for her, Anastasia made her way to the office. As she waited in the lobby, Harold’s assistant came down to escort her."Miss Spencer, you can go ahead," the assistant said, holding the door open for her.Anastasia knocked, and upon hearing Harold's voice, she stepped inside. To her surprise, several men were already seated in the room. She greeted her father and nodded politely at the others."And who is this?" one of the men, who appeared to be around Harold's age, asked."That's my daughter," Harold responded."Oh, it’s Regina?" another man asked, frowning in confusion.Before
Harold couldn’t bear to see her cry anymore. It was giving him a headache. Big tears streamed down her cheeks and her nose had turned red and ugly from all the weeping. She looked utterly pathetic."Enough!" Harold snapped, his patience reducing each second.She looked up at him as her sobs filled the silence between them.“Regina was in danger because of Damien,” Harold said sharply. “Her name is linked to him in the media. If they find out that you are married to him, it will create a huge scandal and our family’s reputation will be affected.”Anastasia waited for him to continue. “I will wage a war against Damien, Anastasia. He openly disrespected me by hurting Regina and marrying you without my permission. You know better than anyone that I have the power to ruin Damien Callahan!” She stared at him, feeling the weight of his words. She knew he wasn’t bluffing, his ego was as vast as the ocean, and he would destroy anyone who dared to cross him. Though she didn’t want to cause any
Damien studied him for a moment before speaking. “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?” Ronan opened his eyes, hesitant, but eventually nodded. “Do you love Regina? Not as a friend, but as a romantic partner?” Damien’s tone was firm and curious. “What?” Ronan looked startled. “Be honest, Ronan.” Ronan was quick to respond, his voice firm and sincere. “I don’t! I don’t see her that way at all. She is like the sister I never had. A little sister. I love her a lot, but not romantically.” He paused, his voice softening. “But she means the world to me. She has been there for me through everything, good and bad. She is someone I share my heart and soul with. Damien, I don’t love her as a romantic partner, but she is still my soulmate. I know it sounds strange, but it’s the truth.” Damien tilted his head while being intrigued. “If you marry someone in the future, how will you fit Regina into that dynamic?” Ronan met his gaze whi
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
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, h
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
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
“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
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
“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
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