bombs after in next chapter........
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,
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
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,
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 rea
“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
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