The grand mansion stood far away from the crowded city. Tonight, it was bustling under the warm glow of chandeliers and the murmur of conversations as a party for a business launch was going on in full swing. The focal point of the evening was a woman dressed in a long, elegant black dress holding a glass of champagne, possessing the grace of royalty. Her name was Regina Spencer and she was no less than a royal princess. Regina moved through the crowd with sophistication and a flawless smile that could ease anyone while her foxy eyes were on every opportunity laid around her. The mansion's luxurious ballroom was adorned with priceless art and rare decorations and showcased the power and wealth her family wielded. It apprehended and awed every guest. Outside, the beautifully mowed gardens were sparkling under the moonlight and some people were chatting there. The Spencer House was always a talk among the guests as they don't seem to get enough of its beauty. "Regina, I saw what you
Anastasia stared at the boy standing in front of her who was begging her to change her mind. Little did he know that no persuasion would ever change her resolve."Anna, please give us a chance," Damien begged, holding her hand with utmost sincerity. His eyes which were usually so confident mirrored desperation at this time. "Anna, I love you," Damien whispered. "Please, let's not break up?"Anastasia pulled her hands from his grip and turned away, her gaze fixed on the busy cityscape from the terrace of the building where Damien had brought her. He had flown from New York to London just to see her. They had broken up two months ago when she left New York, and she hadn't expected him to come here to plead for another chance.She closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill. No, she couldn't be weak now. She had to stay strong. They simply couldn't be together. A sob rose in her throat, but she bit down hard on her lip to distract her emotional pain from the sharp physical pain. He cou
When Anastasia finally arrived home, she found her mother waiting in the living room. It was late and the sight of her daughter, clearly drunk and accompanied by Adeline and a young man, made Fiona's eyes narrow with concern."Miss Fiona, this is my brother, Austin," Adeline quickly introduced as she sensed the tension."What happened to her?" Fiona asked, her worry evident in her tone and expression."I’m not sure," Adeline replied, glancing at Anastasia with concern. "She said she had to meet someone, and when she returned, she was very sad. I tried asking her what happened but she didn’t say anything."Austin scowled, impatience lacing his voice. "Why don't you just tell her that Anna went to meet that boy?"Fiona's expression hardened at the mention of "that boy."Austin continued, "A woman also came to meet her at a café."Fiona's heart sank as she pieced together what must have happened. Someone from New York had come to see her daughter, someone from the life she had tried so h
A year ago, Anna had everything—a family, a perfect life, and a loving boyfriend. But one fateful night, everything shattered into pieces and she became all alone in this world with nobody to run to. She was born into a powerful and wealthy family as her father owned one of the largest conglomerates in the USA. She recalled a time when her parents were madly in love with each other. However, things took a turn when she was ten. Her mother left home after a heated argument with her father. After that, her mother never returned. That day she not only lost her mother but also her father. Anastasia’s life turned into a battleground of legal battle– choosing which parent to stay with. However, nobody had much of a choice when the person was one of the most powerful people in the country. Her mother couldn't win the custody case and she had to stay with her father, which meant she would never see her mother again. When Anna was eleven, her father introduced her to his new wife. Accepti
Damien stood with his back against the sleek-black car with his arms crossed and exuding an air of impatience and elegance. Behind him, his secretary Jack was a bundle of nerves who had beads of sweat trickling down his face. They had been waiting outside the civil affairs bureau for over half an hour and the tension in the air was thick around then. Jack gulped nervously while casting anxious glances between his boss and the entrance, and silently praying that the mysterious woman Damien was set to marry today would appear soon. If she didn’t, Jack knew all too well the kind of storm that would follow. To mess up with Damien Callahan was no less messing with the devil himself. Jack still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that just days before, Damien had been on the verge of finalizing his engagement to Miss Regina Spencer, a woman with great family ties and social standing. How on earth had he decided to leave her for this mystery woman—someone who might not even have the s
Damien glanced at Anna who was grinning like a fool with her eyes fixated on the wedding certificate that she was holding in her hands for the last thirty minutes. “How can a stupid piece of paper make you so happy?” The words escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.Anna’s gaze shifted to him as her smile unwavering today. She said with her usual joy, “How can it be stupid, Hubby? This is our marriage certificate. It’s always been my dream to marry you.”Damien's eyes darkened as he heard her say, “First of all, the affection in your voice makes my skin crawl. Second, don’t call me endearments you don’t mean. And lastly, don’t forget you are the one who shattered your own dream and left everything behind.”The joy in her eyes dimmed as the weight of his words pressed down on her. The past she had been trying to bury resurfaced and her smile faded completely now. Damien's lips turned into a smirk and was satisfied with the impact of his words on her. Inwardly, he seethed. Bi
It was late at night, and Anna sat in the room that Damien had assigned her. It was located at the far end of the mansion. She wondered if he had chosen this room to keep her out of sight, so they wouldn’t cross paths too often. A few hours had passed since his mother left. When the housekeeper came to call her for dinner, Anna realized she would have to eat alone because Damien had asked the maid to bring her food to her room.Anna ate slowly with her heart heavy. When she returned to her room, she couldn't sleep or rest. Her mind was filled with thoughts she wished she could avoid. She paced back and forth, trying to clear her head. Then, her thoughts turned to Damien. Unable to stop herself, she left her room to find him. Standing outside his door, she tried to push it open but it was locked from the inside. She felt restless, knowing he might be in a bad mood and she was probably the last person he wanted to see. But despite that, she needed to check on him because wished to know
For three nights straight, Anna had stayed awake until midnight, waiting for Damien. Each time, he returned too late and left before she could wake up. He was slipping through her life like a shadow. A whole week passed without her seeing her husband yet she continued preparing food for him without any expectations. On the eighth night, Anna decided enough was enough. She made up her mind to wait for him in the living room. Sitting on the sofa, she waited for him. She had been busy all day managing household tasks and her own errands without a moment's rest. Now, at 2 a.m., with her eyes growing heavy from sleep, she still held on as she refused to surrender to sleep. Seven days without a word from him was too long. Today, she would see him by hook or crook. Finally, the front door creaked open. A man dressed in a sharp suit stepped inside. Anna jumped to her feet. As he entered, he glanced briefly at her and then at the housekeeper who had likely also gotten up to make sure there wa
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