Ronan sighed deeply. “I wanted to meet you in Paris. I wanted to surprise you when you signed your first big commercial advertisement. You were so nervous about it for a whole month. When you told me you were going to sign it, I thought I would pop by to surprise you. I came, but then… I saw Anna with you.”She narrowed her eyes. “So, all these years we never met because of Anastasia?”He lowered his head. “I hated her…”Adeline’s expression hardened. “When we met, why didn’t you confess?” she pressed.“I thought you would hate me,” he said quietly. “The dynamics had been twisted with Regina and Anastasia. You live and breathe Anastasia, and I’m always just in Regina’s shadow. We were like mortal enemies.”Adeline’s face twisted with disgust. “What a stupid piece of shit you are. Why would I hate you for them?”She glared at him while speaking, “Ronan, you wasted ten years of our lives with your unreasonable hate for my best friend. You chose Regina over me. I don’t want to feel bad
Ronan took a deep breath and confessed his feelings, “Because I love her.”Adeline froze, her eyes locked on Ronan.Ronan turned to her and his gaze was so intense. “I love this woman more than my life. I was a jerk. I was a jerk for putting unnecessary things above her. I would die before letting any harm come her way.”Adeline was still shocked but did not forget to point a jab at Regina. “By unnecessary things, he meant you.”Regina’s jaw clenched, her face hardened with anger. “You are just as stupid and petty as your best friend.”Ronan’s frustration boiled over. “Regina, please. Don’t overwhelm Addy by bringing up Anna. Anna is her bottom line. She may love Anna more than her own blood brother. She is just one shock away from labor. Please.”Regina crossed her arms, clearly irked. “What did I even do?”Ronan looked up at Adeline, his face filled with regret, and dropped to his knees. “Adeline, I know I don’t deserve you. I know I have hurt you more than anyone should ever be hu
While Adeline had already been rushed to the labour room, Giovanni and Regina arrived at the hospital. Austin was pacing back and forth like a panicked madman, completely at a loss for what to do. He looked on the verge of tears.“Hey, calm down. Your sister is going to be fine,” Giovanni said, trying to reassure him.“How do you know?” Austin snapped. “You were threatening her not long ago, and you even supported your bastard brother who hurt my sister.”Giovanni sighed and said, “He is my brother, and my first instinct was to protect him. I didn’t know the full story or that he was in the wrong. I’m sorry for threatening your sister. I didn’t realize she was pregnant with his child.” She added earnestly, “I really am sorry.”Austin studied her for a moment. With her phoenix tattoo and rebellious demeanour, she seemed bold and unapologetically heroic. Finally, he relented, “Alright. I’m just really stressed.”She stepped forward with a calm smile and said, “Your sister will be fine. I
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
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
"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
"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
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
Damien asked, shocked, “What happened to Harold?”Jack replied, “He suffered a stroke. His condition is serious.”“Is Claire there?” Damien asked urgently.“Not yet, but the butler is. Claire has been informed and will be arriving soon,” Jack explained.Damien’s tone turned sharp. “Jack, get Harold out of the house as soon as possible. Don’t let Claire catch wind of it. Until she arrives, the butler has the authority to assist you. Once she’s there, she’ll take control. Warn the butler that this is all part of Claire’s grand plan. To eliminate Harold and seize everything. She is already plotting against Regina and Anna.”“Understood, sir. I will take care of it,” Jack assured him.When Damien ended the call, he turned to find Asher who was standing nearby and observing him quietly.Before Damien could talk to his eldest son, Darcy entered the room, followed closely by Summer who was carrying a sleeping Destiny. Despite the late hour, the couple had arrived, uncalled but concerned.Dam
While Ronan, Adeline, and Abel were at the hospital, Damien found himself pacing back and forth in the living room. He had been trying to contact Anastasia, but now her phone was switched off. She had been keeping him updated on the situation but with no recent word, his worry began to grow.“Dad, Rio is crying,” Maxey said softly, tugging at Damien’s sleeve.Damien turned quickly, his thoughts momentarily interrupted. “Oh…” he muttered, glancing toward the baby.As he turned, he noticed Asher holding Rio in his arms, while gently rocking him. To Damien’s surprise, Asher was singing the lullaby that Anastasia usually sang to soothe the baby. His voice was sweet and homely and before long, Rio’s cries quieted as he drifted off to sleep.Damien smiled faintly at the sight, feeling both pride and heartache.“Dad, when will Mom come home?” Asher asked, his voice filled with worry. “Is everything okay?”Damien ruffled his son’s hair, trying to reassure him. “Everything’s okay, kiddo,” he s
Anna made sure all the exits around the hospital were blocked. She was determined to stop anyone from escaping, especially since she was certain the kidnapper hadn’t left and the missing baby was still inside the building.She didn’t waste any time and searched every corner of the hospital. She checked rooms, hallways, and storage areas, leaving nothing untouched. The guards were also running around, doing their best to find the child, but no one seemed to have any luck.As Anna moved through the hospital, she noticed a nurse heading toward the terrace, holding a cigarette packet. The nurse tried to open the door but found it locked.“That’s strange,” the nurse muttered. “Why is the terrace door locked? It’s never locked.”Anna’s instincts kicked in. Something felt off. She walked up to the door and tried opening it herself, but it wouldn’t budge. The lock was solid and the door wouldn’t move. Without hesitation, she decided to break it open.She hurried downstairs to find something h
On Adeline’s side, Damien called her to come to his place immediately with her son. She was already en route when Ronan sent her an SOS with his location. Her brows furrowed at the odd message, but her heart pounded with unease. When she tried calling him, his phone was switched off.Dropping Rio off at Damien’s place, Adeline wasted no time. With her security team in tow, she headed to the location Ronan had sent. It was a private property on the outskirts of New York. The urgency of the situation made her call Delilah to arrange for a chopper to get her there faster.As they landed, her bodyguards secured the perimeter and began a thorough search of the property. Room by room, they swept through until Adeline finally found Ronan.He was lying on a bed. His body filled with discomfort as a naked woman attempted to climb on him. He was intoxicated but was still trying to push her away. Adeline’s blood boiled at the sight, but she forced herself to keep her calm.“Record this,” she or
Regina couldn’t make sense of what was happening. How could it be Fiona? She had been living here for months and hadn’t even recognized her own mother.“Regina!” Anastasia screamed as Regina stumbled against a table and fell to the ground.Both Anastasia and Fiona rushed to her side, helping her to the sofa.“Are you okay?” Anastasia asked, panic evident in her voice.Dazed, Regina nodded.“You hit the table so hard! And you are heavily pregnant. I’m not taking any chances,” Anastasia said, her fear mounting.“Anna, I’m fine,” Regina reassured her.But Anastasia didn’t listen. She quickly called Damien. “Please come to Regina and Abel’s place right away. And increase security around our house.”“Is everything alright?” Damien asked, his concern clear.“Damien, my mom is alive. She is here with me. I need you to come over and make sure she is safe while I look after Regina,” Anastasia said, her voice trembling. “Please, hurry.”When Damien arrived, he was stunned to see Fiona. Anastasi
Abel’s voice over the call was filled with concern. “Hey, Anastasia. Can you please check on Regina for me? I’m out of state for a meeting. She is not answering my calls, and my housekeeper is on leave.”There was a pause before he added, almost apologetically, “I know it is asking a lot, but I’m really getting stressed about her.”Anastasia’s tone was calm and reassuring. “It is not a big deal, Abel. I will go check on her.”“Thank you. I really appreciate it. I have to get back. I called you in the middle of a meeting,” he said hurriedly before ending the call.Anastasia smiled softly after hanging up. Lately, Abel had become incredibly attentive and caring toward Regina. With her due date approaching, it was natural for him to worry, especially when she didn’t pick up the phone. She admired how much effort he was putting into making sure Regina felt supported.“Maxey,” Anastasia called out, intending to get her youngest to join her.Instead of Ashton, Asher appeared in the doorway
Damien and Anastasia lay tangled under the sheet as the afterglow of their passionate love-making session still lingered. He pressed a gentle kiss to the smooth curve of her shoulder and a quiet hum of satisfaction left her lips in response.“Who knew that kids making love would be such an adventure,” Anastasia murmured, her voice filled with exhaustion.Damien chuckled. “I hope for a decade none of them discover sex.”Anastasia rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s not forget about us. We started pretty early. Thank God our parents never knew.”Damien’s grin was mischievous as he pulled her in for a slow kiss. “I missed you all day,” he whispered. Anastasia smirked, “Oh yeah? I heard the laughter downstairs. I know you were having fun with the boys. Did you even have the chance to miss me?”It warmed her heart to no end that their lives had changed for the better and now it was filled with so much love. This was the family that she never knew she needed. But now that she had it, everythi
As Mrs. Luna served Asher’s breakfast, it was noticeably different from everyone else’s. Since Asher loved animals so much that he couldn’t bear the thought of eating meat, the family wholeheartedly respected his choice and ensured he was only served vegetarian meals.“Jellybean, your dad told me about your plans for the day. Are you excited?” Anastasia asked with a warm smile.“Yeah,” Asher replied, though his tone carried a mix of emotions. Glancing at his younger brother, he added, “Maxey isn’t learning to ride a bicycle?”“Nope!” Ashton grinned cheekily. “I asked Mommy if I could skip it, and she said yes.”Asher turned toward Damien with a frown. “That’s not fair!”Damien shrugged with a smirk. “Sorry, buddy. He pulled the Mommy card today, and you know how it is, she is the boss.”Asher rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed.Anastasia leaned in, her tone encouraging. “I know by the end of the day, you will be riding like a pro. We are all rooting for you.”Breakfast was casual an
Many times, blood does not define relationships. Anastasia understood this better than anyone, and now Damien was living this truth as well.When Asher and Ashton were brought to their new home, they were awestruck. It took them an entire month to come to terms with the reality of their new life. Accepting Anastasia and Damien as their parents wasn’t easy, but all four of them were working hard to build a family together.It was the weekend. The boys had recently been enrolled in a new school and adjusting to the fast-paced curriculum of an international private school had been challenging for them. However, their parents were fully committed to helping them succeed.Despite it being a holiday, Damien woke the kids up early.Asher, the older of the two, groaned. “Do I really have to get up?”Though he was respectful to Anastasia and Damien, Asher had a frosty demeanour—his coldness rivalled that of Antarctica.“Yes, you do,” Damien said firmly. “We agreed that today you would learn ho