“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
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
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
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
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
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
“Did you do something?” Anastasia asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed Abel. She was currently in Damien’s office where she was planning to surprise him after her long day at work. She hadn’t expected to find out he was away for an important meeting and wouldn’t return until the evening. Since she was too tired to head home immediately, she decided to rest in his office and wait for him. But she hadn’t anticipated Abel walking in and looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looked so miserable that she could not ignore him. Abel froze momentarily at her question before attempting to brush it off. “Why would you think I did something?”He tried to appear casual but the misery on his face betrayed him. His usual funny and naighty demeanor was nowhere to be found.Anastasia tilted her head as a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Hmm. Let me think…” she mused dramatically before adding, “Maybe because you reek of guilt. It is written all over y
Damien sat in a café, checking his watch. He had been waiting for half an hour when the door finally opened. A tall, striking woman walked in and as soon as she saw him, her face lit up. She walked over and hugged him.“How are you, Damien?” she asked with a confident smile. The woman was stunning, strong and intimidating with an air of mystery. She wore a dress with a low back, showing off a large phoenix tattoo. The tattoo gave her an untouchable aura, like she had risen from something difficult, carrying a story only she knew, a story which with hints of sadness.“I’m doing well, Gia,” Damien replied. “And you?”Giovanna laughed lightly as her tone was calm. “What could possibly happen to me?”“Right…” Damien said. Then he asked, “How is Gideon?”The mention of the boy made her expression soften instantly. “Gideon is doing great,” she said, a warm smile appearing on her face.Damien nodded, relieved. He thought back to her past about the struggles she had endured. Ten years ago,
say we couldn’t be seen together?”Claire stood before her and said in frustration and exasperation. “I told you not to come here. What part of that didn’t you understand?”Eleanor crossed her arms defiantly. “Why can’t I come? You don’t get to lecture me about this, Claire. You have kept me locked up in that house for months! I came here on my merit.”Claire’s eyes flashed. “If I hadn’t locked you up, you would have been punished far worse. Do you have any idea what you have done? Picking a fight with Anastasia and her friend was reckless!”Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Reckless? I was standing up for myself. They are not untouchable, Claire.”Claire’s voice dropped to a sharp whisper. “You don’t understand the consequences of your actions.”Eleanor’s defiance wavered, but she masked it with a glare. “Maybe you should stop underestimating me.”Claire sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You don’t get it, do you? It’s not about underestimating you. It’s about protecting you—from your
“Abel and I are going to the courthouse tomorrow to get married. Would you like to be my witness?” Regina asked casually, as though she had just invited Anastasia for coffee. Her tone was like she and Anastasia had been a pair of best sisters all these years. Well, what was she supposed to do with the fact that Anastasia was no longer her half-sister? They shared the same parents. This made them full siblings. She had nothing to fight with this woman, right? Anastasia was annoying but she could do with it. Anastasia’s jaw dropped. “You are getting married? To Abel? And you want me to be your witness? Tell me the truth, were you smoking pot, Regina?”Regina burst out laughing. “Trust me, my life story is smoking pot.” She wiped a tear of amusement from her eye before adding, “Yes, I’m marrying Abel. He is a nice guy. I’m not looking for love. Giving a stable home to our kids before they arrive feels like the responsible thing to do. And if the marriage doesn’t last, that is okay too.
Anastasia stepped out of the banquet hall and found Regina sitting on a bench in the expansive garden of the Callahan mansion. Regina who was usually poised and sophisticated held a paper plate with a large slice of chocolate cake and was eating it with an unabashed delight that seemed out of character.For a moment, Anastasia simply stared at her but her curiosity was piqued by the rare sight.Regina’s gaze lifted and when she noticed Anastasia, she extended the plate with her used plastic fork. “Destiny was right. The birthday cake was awful, but this—” she gestured toward the cake with a satisfied sigh, “This tastes like heaven.”Anastasia raised an eyebrow.Regina grinned and said, “I walked an entire mile in these heels to get this cake from a bakery. The reviews didn’t lie. It’s worth every step.”Anastasia gaped. “You walked a mile? In those heels? Why didn’t you just tell Abel?”Regina shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t want to disturb him. He was with his friends. Besides, I ne
Regina replied softly, “I wish I could answer that.”Abel’s expression tightened as he whispered, “Claire isn’t your birth mother?”What on earth did he just see? Wait, she let him see this information? Did it mean, she really trust him with her life? Before he could get happy, she began saying. Regina shook her head. The DNA test had confirmed what she never imagined—Claire was not her birth mother. She didn’t know how to process it.She said, “The doctor told me there was a possibility I was adopted. Since I recently did a DNA test with my dad, I was certain that Harold is my biological father. All my life, Claire told me Harold wasn’t my father when they both knew the truth. Then suddenly, the doctor pointed out that with their blood types, they couldn’t have had a child with AB+. I was racking my brain, trying to figure it all out. Finally, I decided to test my DNA against the rest of my family.”Regina took a deep breath before continuing. “My DNA matched with my father... but, s
After the cake-cutting ceremony, Regina stood far away from the crowd when a little girl approached her with a plate full of cake slices. The girl stopped near her and said, “Hello, this is for you.”Regina looked at the little princess, who had become the apple of everyone’s eye tonight. She crouched down to the girl’s level and said, “Thank you. Did you bring this for me?”Destiny turned around and pointed at Anastasia. “Anna asked me to give cake to everyone who didn’t get any.”Regina asked, “Did you give cake to everyone?”Destiny shook her head. “No, just you.”Regina chuckled. “Thank you.” She took the cake and bit into it. “Oh, it’s delicious.”Destiny made a face and said, “No, it’s not.” Leaning closer, she whispered in Regina’s ear, “My mommy makes cakes with real sugar and cream. This one has fake sugar and cream.”Regina laughed again. The cake was low-fat and low-sugar, but since she rarely had sugar or dairy, she didn’t notice the difference. She said, “I will try a real
“Why is she here?” Anastasia asked, her voice low but sharp as her eyes fixed on Eleanor standing confidently in the hall. The nerve of that woman to show up at her house after trying to hurt her family.Damien leaned in slightly, keeping his tone casual. “She is Chris’s plus one.”Anastasia exhaled, quickly understanding the situation. “Okay. I will be on my best behaviour.”Though she wasn’t one to bow to others’ opinions, Anastasia had been making extra efforts lately. Damien’s family hadn’t fully warmed up to her, and for her husband’s sake, she was resolved to leave them with no reason to criticise. She wasn’t naturally a people-pleaser, but she knew that making peace with his relatives meant comfort for him and that mattered.Damien wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a side hug. “My wife is always on her best behaviour. It is just other people who know how to get under her skin.”Anastasia smiled faintly, conceding, “You are not wrong.”He chuckled, then flagged down a
The sound of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air as more guests arrived and the mansion came alive with enthusiasm of the guests. Abel walked alongside Regina, his hand resting lightly on her lower back for support. She looked radiant in a sleek black evening gown, her poise and grace masking any signs of her pregnancy. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floor, commanding attention with every step.“If you are not feeling well, we can leave,” Abel said, his tone laced with concern. His eyes lingered on her, searching for any sign of discomfort.“I’m fine, Abel,” Regina reassured him with a faint smile. Despite her visible effort to appear composed, Abel remained unconvinced.“You have been pushing yourself too hard,” he pressed. “I don’t want you getting sick again.”Regina’s gaze softened as she turned to him. She understood his worry as the past month had been challenging. Her health had taken a toll, resulting his mother to insist she stay with them until she rega
Grandmother sighed and said, “They didn’t listen to us when we didn’t want them to get married. They went ahead and did it anyway. Now, when we ask them to marry, they are ignoring us again.”Suddenly, Adeline added while trying to get under someone’s skin, “What about having the ceremony on their wedding anniversary?”Claire and Carolyn shot Adeline sharp looks but Grandmother seemed pleased by the idea. “That sounds like a nice idea,” she said eagerly.Damien and Anastasia exchanged glances before responding, “We will give you an answer soon.”Grandmother nodded, a hopeful smile on her face. “Hopefully, it will be a good answer.”At that moment, there was a bit of commotion in the party and a maid quietly whispered into the old lady’s ear, “Mr. Callahan is here.”The old lady’s eyes sparkled as she turned to see her son entering the room, accompanied by his wife and daughter. He looked just as he had ten years ago. Perhaps even more cheerful now. His presence was as captivating as e
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