A maid appeared at the doorway and said, “Miss Spencer, the Master is calling for you.”As Claire and Regina made their way to Harold’s study and they found him seated at his desk, a file clasped in his hands. He looked up as they entered. Without a word, he handed the file to Regina.“What is this, Dad?” she asked, curiosity bubbling within her.“Open it,” Harold replied, his tone cool. Regina flipped open the file and her eyes widened in disbelief as she absorbed the contents. Inside were the documents indicating that her father was transferring all his shares in her jewelry company to her. These shares were worth millions and had been a significant part of his investments. She could hardly wrap her head around it. Why was he acting so generous? Claire gasped softly as her heart raced. She and Regina had never imagined that Harold would give such valuable assets, especially while he was still alive. Why was he so nice today? What changed? “I have instructed Paul,” Harold continue
The next morning, Anastasia woke with a sharp cramp twisting through her stomach. Her discomfort must have stirred Damien as he blinked awake beside her, immediately noticing her pained expression.“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. He started to sit up, saying, “Do you need something? I will get you water—”But she reached out, she grabbed his hand to stop him. “Don’t move,” she whispered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. For some reasons, she did not want hin to get out of the bed. It was not because she was suddenly clingy of him. It had an entirely different reason. Damien’s brow furrowed, but he stayed still while lying close to her. They had fallen asleep in a spooning position with her body curled up against him and her back pressed into his chest. Her voice was soft and tinged with regret as she said, “Husband, I’m… I’m so sorry.”“What happened?” he asked, his voice gentle, though a flicker of worry crept into his gaze. Just then, he felt someth
As Anastasia lay there on the bed, Damien brought breakfast to the room and set it carefully on a tray. Normally, he didn’t believe in eating in bed but for her, he was more than willing to bend the rules. She watched him with a lot of dmiration as they had food together and that day, he got ready quite late and went to office. He even took time off and went to office late so he could make her feel better. When he was ready to leave, he leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. “Take care today,” he murmured. “Call me if you are not feeling well.”She looked up at him, a hopeful look in her eyes. “Can you come home early?”He smiled. “Sure.”“Can I borrow Jack for a day?” she asked after a moment’s pause.“My assistant?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.She nodded, a playful smile on her lips. If she gets Jack, she had big plans for him. She wished that she had a multitasker employee like Jack. “Okay,” he agreed without hesitation.“Aren’t you going to ask why?” she teased.“Just us
Anastasia was working on her strategy when Damien walked in. The moment she saw him, she abandoned everything and ran to hug him. It was like a child greeting a parent after a long day. Seeing her so happy, he wrapped his arms around her. “Happy to see me?” he asked.She nodded with a smile.He kissed her forehead and they settled onto the couch. His gaze fell on the scattered papers, filled with words like break marriage, kill two birds with one stone, and various mind maps. He quickly understood that his beautiful and scheming wife was plotting to take down an empire. “I think the girl’s mother might be the easiest to manipulate,” Damien observed, piecing together what he could from her notes. He had no idea who they were talking about at this time but from the knowledge and the background that he could understand. “But isn’t she divorced?” she asked.“All the better,” he replied with a smile.“Will you help me craft a more detailed plan?” she asked.Though he didn’t know all the
They continued talking, mainly about Anastasia as shw was their mutual friend. Soon the conversation shifted and they shared stories about their careers and dreams. When Adeline excused herself to go to the restroom, Abel stayed at the table with a warm smile. His heart was so guddy. After such a long time, he liked someone. Not just to tangle in sheet but someone who he really wanted to get to know and spend more time together. Just then, someone approached him. “What are you doing here?” Ronan asked, grinning. He could see the glow on Abel’s face. The young man was clearly upto something. However, he did not expose him. “I’m on a date,” Abel replied, grinning back.Ronan punched his arm playfully. “Good luck, man. Hope you get lucky tonight.”Abel rolled his eyes. “Nah, this one’s different. I actually want to get to know her, not just... well, you know.”Ronan’s smile softened. “I hope you find the happiness you deserve.”He was very happy for his bestfriend at this time. “Than
It took Anastasia a week to arrange a “chance” meeting with Kiara Armani’s mother. She wanted it to seem like a coincidence, though it was carefully planned. She was in the children’s section, pretending to select clothes for a young boy, when Cara Williams, formerly Mrs. Armani, approached nearby. It felt like a perfect chance where she could execute her perfect plan. She needed to let the woman’s guard down and then plant seeds of worry in her brain. “Oh... Mrs. Armani!” Anastasia said with a friendly smile, making it sound as if they had bumped into each other purely by accident. Sometimes, she was in awe of her acting skills. Cara looked at her, puzzled. “And you are...?”There was a extremely attractive woman standing in front of her. She was surprised to see the beautiful woman in the teenage sections to buy clothes. And what was making her curious was that this lady knew her. “Don’t you remember me?” Anastasia replied warmly. She added, “You came to my seventeenth birthday a
Cara’s expression faltered, caught off guard by the serious question.“In Noorstan,” Anastasia continued, “Things are quite orthodox and conservative there. Kiara would have to follow a specific set of rules and expectations about how she should dress and behave. Her freedom would be limited. Not just that, this freedom that she is having with her family here would be taken away from here.”Cara’s eyes flickered with unease and her voice barely a whisper. “What are you trying to do?”“My best friend was in a relationship with that boy,” Anastasia began, her tone cool. “He is more than ten years older than your daughter. His family was against a white girl at that time. Just imagine the restrictions Kiara will face, not to mention the palace politics for an eighteen-year-old girl. How sad for such a child.”Cara’s face flushed with anger. “How do you know? You are just talking nonsense!” She did not want to show an outsider that her words were impacting her. Anastasia remained calm as
It had been a week and a half since Abel and Adeline went on their first date and Abel couldn’t wrap his head around why she hadn’t agreed to a second one. Everything had gone splendidly, but still, no call or text came from her. He was starting to feel like a contestant on a game show where one that never seemed to get picked for the next round.He wanted Adeline to talk to him and tell him if he did something to upset her biut she would not even see his texts. Why was she doing this? Today, Abel decided to throw a party simply because he had nothing better to do or his heart was hurting too much. He even invited Adeline, but of course, she didn’t reply. As he waited, he heard the click of heels outside his door. His heart raced. could it be Adeline? He dashed to the door, throwing it open with a wide with hopeful grin.But his smile vanished faster than a child’s who dropped his icecream when he saw who was standing there.Regina crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Am I that des
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, ha
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