Married?”“Yes, married. I heard about his engagement some years ago. I assumed he would be happily married with kids by now,” I say.“Oh, dear, you didn’t hear?” She says, and I give her a puzzled look.“Rosalina, his ex-fiancé, called off the wedding,” she says, and I gape in shock.“What?” I ask in utter surprise.“Yes, she did. It was big news around here.”“Why?” I ask while my mind is racing. Why did I not hear about the broken engagement?“No one knows. There are rumors that Rosalina broke it off with him with claims that he isn’t the man for such commitment,” she says. I frown. That doesn’t sound like Nathan . I recall how we would always talk about getting married and raising kids.“Wow, I had no idea. It must have been devastating for him,” I say.“That’s what we all thought, but Nathan took it in stride. It didn’t even seem like his engagement was broken. In fact, that year, he started breaking more records with his art. It’s an amazing thing that someone like Nathan is sti
Aunt Maryann?” He asks.“Do you have any other one?” I ask in amusement.“Please, give the phone to her,” he says excitedly. I hand over the phone to Aunt Maryann.“My darling. It’s so good to hear from you again,” Aunt Maryann says. I shake my head in amusement and leave the room. I need to start making arrangements to get my things. Aunt Maryann returns to my room some minutes later with my phone.“He says I can send my special cookies to him,” Aunt Maryann says with absolute delight. I shake my head in amusement.“Is that so pumpkin?” I ask, chuckling, as I take the phone from her.“Yes, as a matter of fact, I’ll love to spend my holidays with her, Mom,” he says. I glance at Aunt Maryann; it seems she is eager to know what my response will be. Evidently, they’ve discussed this.“Sure, you can,” I say with a smile.“Yay! My baby will be visiting me soon,” Aunt Maryann yells excitedly before leaving the room. I chuckle at her reaction before returning my attention to Goerge .“You ar
“I’m not sure. I was thinking of calling Bekah to see if she can have the important things shipped. We can put the rest up for sale,” I tell him.“Oh, I can handle that,” Goerge says.“No, I don’t want you missing your classes for this,” I tell him.“I won’t. Even if Aunt Bekah will sort it, I want to assist. Besides, I’ll be able to tell what we can and cannot keep,” he is right about this; besides, it will mean less work for Bekah.“Okay, if you insist,” I tell him.“Sure, Mom. I’ll be free from Friday all through to Tuesday. I can travel to New York Friday morning and return Sunday morning,” he says.“Sure, that sounds like a plan. I’ll just see if Mabel is free so we don’t ruin her schedule,”“Okay, Mom. I’ll be expecting to hear from you,” he says, and I smile.“Thank you, son,” I tell him.“You’re welcome, Mom. I have to go now. Talk to you later,” he says.“Talk to you soon,” I reply.I release a sigh the minute the call ends. I quickly dial Bekah’s number. All I get is the ans
“You don’t need to cry, Aunt. I’m fine now,” I comfort her, embracing her warmly. I had always feared revealing the truth to her, but I couldn’t bear the thought of burdening her with my past.“Oh, it could have been avoided. I feel like I failed my sister,” she says with teary eyes.“No, you didn’t. You and Uncle Tyler have taken care of me as your own, something John neglected to do for me and for that, I’ll forever be grateful,”I reassure her.“Why would he do such a despicable thing, marrying you off like that? Is this some sort of medieval times? Why didn’t you call me? I would have come back to stop the madness,” she says with anger.“There wasn’t enough time, and there was too much at stake. I couldn’t risk it,” I explain. I had feared that if I involved her, it would have only made things worse for Nathan with my father.“Aunt Maryann, it’s nothing for you to worry about now. I just wanted you to know the truth. Can we not resist the past anymore?” I ask, hoping for a fresh st
few minutes later, I am standing in front of a beautiful glass building. I’m awestruck as I take everything in. Even from the outside, I can already appreciate the artwork displayed. No doubt, the owner of this place has excellent taste.The name LENS is prominently displayed at the top. Clutching the file tightly, I make my way toward the entrance. The moment I step inside, I let out a gasp., LENS was already beautiful from the outside, but from the inside, it’s breathtaking. My eyes are immediately drawn to the array of paintings adorning the space.“Good afternoon, ma’am. Welcome to LENS. How may I help you?” I spin around at the sound of the voice behind me. The voice belongs to a beautiful lady. I assume she is the artist Uncle Tyler was talking about.“Hi, my name is Natalia . I have an appointment with you for 2pm. I’m here on behalf of Mr. Tyler Wilson,” I explain.“Oh, you’re the interior decorator,” she remarks.“Yes,” I reply with a smile.“Follow me, please,” she instructs
Ye… yes,” she stammers, and I feign disinterest as I watch her eyes dilate. I recognize this reaction, as it used to happen when she was on the verge of arousal. It seems not much has changed with Natalia . I frown at the direction of my thoughts. I can’t allow myself to go there.“I have some artwork on hand, but I'm open to creating more if needed. Tyler told me I'd be inspecting the property with you,” I say, awaiting her to response. I watch her frown, her eyes hardening with determination. I imagine she was pissed that I was acting like I didn’t know her, or possibly she was still pissed that I wasn't acknowledging her. She lost that right years ago when she left without an explanation. Thinking about it alone raises several questions in my head. Questions that will remain answered. The anger still burns within me when I remember how she got married. It’s as if I never really knew her, and everything we shared was a façade. Anyways, it's all in the past.“Perfectly clear,” she re
To be honest, you don't. You only have time for your work, and it makes me feel neglected," she says with a pout."I'm sorry about that. At least I'm trying to make it up to you now.”"Oh, yes, you are. Those flowers are beautiful, but more importantly, this diamond necklace is gorgeous," she beams, caressing her neck. I must admit, the necklace looks stunning on her. Stella deserves a bonus for picking out the perfect piece.I still remember how Mildred and I formally met at an event a few years ago. What was supposed to be a casual one-night encounter turned into this arrangement. Mildred is quiet, dependable, and not a hassle as long as she gets the luxuries she desires. Although, I've started to notice a change in her lately. It seems like she wants more, and I don't think I'm capable of that. I can't help but think about Natalia . It drives me crazy that even with Mildred here, my mind still drifts back to her. Mildred doesn't interest me as much as Natalia does. This dinner date
Tyler and I discussed accommodation arrangements, and I offered that, since I have a spacious beach house in Miami near the properties, his interior decorator could stay there with me. However, I didn't consider that Natalia might be the interior decorator."I'm not going to stand for this. In fact, we are going on this trip together.""What about your shoot?""I'll skip it," she says."You can't do that. This is your career we are talking about here," I tell her."Well, you're also my man. I'm not going to let her take you away from me," she declares."Your fears are unfounded. There is no way Natalia , and I are getting back together," I explain."I'm not ready to take any chances," she says with a determined look."Alright, if that's what you want. We’re leaving Friday morning, and please, don’t make me wait," I add."Great!" She squeals and throws her arms around me."You're the best. "I force a smile in response."I'll send some money to your account in case you want to pick up