Harold smiled a rare and almost tender smile, as though he had been waiting for this moment all his life. “Because she is trying to win against a ghost. A ghost from her past that she resented so deeply that she is trying to live all her unfulfilled fantasies through you.”Regina’s face went rigid. “What are you saying?”“Faye…” Harold whispered the name. “You know this figure in your field, don’t you?”Regina nodded, her mind reeling. Of course, she knew of Faye, the legend she aspired to become. But being like Faye was a distant dream as history didn’t repeat itself.Harold continued, “Faye was none other than Fiona Watson.”The realization hit Regina like death. For a while, she ate in a daze, her mind elsewhere. When she finally regained her composure, she asked, “Why are you telling me this? I think this is the first time in twenty-eight years you have spoken this much to me. And now that you are finally talking, it is all against my mom. She loves you so much and never says any
Regina left the Spencer mansion feeling emotionally charged, barely holding back her tears. But the moment she got into her car, they spilled over, uncontrollable and raw. She drove to her usual bar, the one place she knew she could let herself fall apart and ordered her regular drink. As she took a sip, trying to drown her feelings, a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.“Isn’t it a little early to be drunk, Miss Spencer?” came the smug tone.With bloodshot eyes, she spat, “Not today, Abel!”Ignoring her warning, Abel slid into the seat beside her. “So, what has got you down today? Finally realized you’re not perfect?”“Fuck off,” she muttered, but he persisted, pushing her buttons as he always did, testing her limits.Just then, her phone rang. “Miss Spencer, something has happened!” her assistant Ela’s panicked voice filled the line. “Please come to the office right now.”Regina, tipsy but trying to pull herself together, grumbled, “Did they mess up the new project? It’s fine,
At the dining table, she saw Anastasia and Damien sitting with him.Her father was saying, “Anastasia Spencer, when exactly were you planning on reporting the mishap at the construction site?”Anastasia replied, “I handled it in time. The construction workers were on strike, so I managed it the best way possible.”Harold raised an eyebrow. “You increased their wages. That raised project costs and reduced our profit margin.”Anastasia shrugged. “Daddy, when you hand over my inheritance, you can deduct the cost from it. We are responsible capitalists, not exploitative ones. We don’t mistreat our workers.”Harold snorted. “Did they teach you Karl Marx in London?”She grinned. “Didn’t you know? He became Karl Marx there. I had to read him to honor his legacy.”“Shut up,” Harold retorted.Anastasia’s response was laced with sarcasm, but to Regina, it looked cute and funny, “Oh, Daddy, I’m your only child. This entire empire is mine. Can’t you spoil me a little?”Harold ignored her snide r
"Are you a little too happy today?" Damien asked, noticing her grinning from ear to ear while she read the news headlines on her phone. The little brat had been up early and replaying his interview over and over.In response, she planted a wet and sloppy kiss on his cheek. "You are the best! I love you so much!"Damien’s heart skipped a beat, and her words filled him with a warm and sweet feeling."Husband, you are so capable. In just one day, you cleared Regina’s name from yours! I’m so happy you clarified things. Yay! You are mine. All mine."He rolled his eyes. "Little peacock, get up and eat something."She was as beautiful, arrogant and proud as a peacock. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to whisper seductively, "Husband, I know you’re hungry, and so am I. Let your wife treat you to a feast. You deserve it." With that, she removed her robe and climbed on top of him, her hands moving sensually over his body.An hour later, the couple finally made it downstairs wi
Anastasia was sitting in Austin’s office as she was looking at the screen, lost in thought. Austin wondered what was on her mind.“What are you thinking?” Austin asked.“Did you stop circulating the posts?” Anastasia asked.“What we started was deleted within an hour that day,” Austin replied. “I haven’t started more since we only wanted to plant a seed of doubt, not create an entire scandal.” He paused and added, “You told me she is closer to Ronan, not Abel. But why were Abel’s people doing damage control for Regina?”“Maybe Ronan asked him,” Anastasia suggested. “We can’t be sure about their friendship, I can’t fully understand their dynamics.” She added, “Anyway, my suspicion was right. Someone else is sabotaging Regina. They just took advantage of this opportunity to bring her down.”Austin shared her doubts. “I believe so too. I was thinking it could be a contestant from the Scarlet Hearts, or maybe a business rival. I heard Harold gave his shares in her company to her. She’s n
Claire quickly regained her composure and folded her arms as she asked, “What are you doing here?”“I’m here for answers,” Regina replied.Claire asked, “What kind of answers?”“Mom…” Regina said, her tone making it clear not to test her patience. Before she could say anything else, a very familiar woman entered and said, “Madam, these are the ten designs that you wanted to be finished.”Regina looked at the woman, then at the designs, and finally at her mother. “What is this, Mom?”Claire appeared a little guilty but spoke confidently. “These are the designs… Your third round of competition is coming. I want you to win.”Regina responded, “I already told you that I don’t want to cheat.”“I know that,” Claire said. “You used these designs in the first round and got selected.”Regina clarified, “You replaced my designs before sending them! I sent something else, but you had them replaced.”Claire replied, “That’s why you got first place.” She added, “In the second round, you were deter
Anastasia’s expression darkened. “She caused such a big scandal just because she thinks she can win Scarlet Heart like this?”Austin chuckled. “That is what I thought too. But then I dug a little deeper to find out if there were any other connections between the two. And you won’t believe what I found.”Anastasia waited impatiently, her curiosity was at the top.Austin leaned forward, his voice lowering as he spoke. “Ronan Arnello.”Anastasia’s eyes widened, her surprise was evident. “Ronan?”Austin nodded. “The Arnello family is pushing for Ronan and Eleanor’s engagement. By the end of the year, they will be married or at least, that’s what his father has decided. And I’m sure you are wondering why Abel is helping out and why Ronan hasn’t been seen around.”Anastasia frowned. “Who on earth is Eleanor Scuderi? What is her background?”Austin sighed, pulling up his phone and tapping the screen. “Her father’s a politician. He was just a blue-collar worker, but twenty years ago, he entere
“Damien?” Anastasia called softly as she stepped into his study, finding him sitting quietly at his desk while being lost in thought. She gave him sometime but when she could not hold on anymore, she came to find him. “Yes?” Damien looked up and saw his wife standing at the door. She appeared hesitant. He could sense her nervousness and uncertainty, but she still mustered the courage to say, “Um, I need to talk to you.” “Not now, Anna. How about tomorrow?” Damien replied, his voice calm. At the moment, his mind was too cluttered, and he needed some space to process his thoughts. He didn’t want to upset her, but he also was not in the right state to have a meaningful conversation. “Are you upset with me?” Anastasia asked quietly. He looked at her, his expression softened. “Don’t be ridiculous. I could never be upset with you.” She took a deep breath, then said, “Okay.” After a brief pause, she added, “Do you have something to ask me?” She had been pondering about what Adel
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