Chapter Seventy-eightAricThe moment I remembered her birthday, I wanted to do something special to make her happy, something to make the day worth it. Seeing her happy made me really happy, and it seemed like she pleasured me better when she was happy. So, why not?But after I went after her Mom and asked if Caelia could stay with me for the day because I wanted to throw her a party, even if it would be a small one, Mari refused. She clearly stated that she would be furious if she found out I ended up setting up a party for her. She told me she suspected I might try something, and if she got even a hint of my plan, she would make sure it didn’t happen. She told me to send Caelia back home and to make sure she got back within the next few minutes.I had no choice but to tell Caelia to leave. I also acted the way I did so Mari wouldn’t have any suspicion that I still planned to set up a party for her. If I hadn’t acted that way, Caelia might have realized she was going to have a party
Chapter Seventy-nineCaeliaI stared at the reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the girl looking back at me. I had gone from being a normal girl to a dazzling queen in just a few minutes.Sixteen years. It had been sixteen years since I last celebrated a birthday, and even then, I was too young to understand what it meant. After my fifth birthday, the word "birthday" disappeared from my life as if it had never existed. Mom made sure there was no celebration, and the only thing she acknowledged on my birthday was my dad’s memorial.And now, here I was, in the middle of the ocean on the most expensive yacht in the world, having arrived in a car I had only seen in movies, with a party thrown just for me. It still didn’t feel real. It was like I was trapped in someone else's dream, a dream I’d wake up from any second now.But seconds passed, and I was still there. Everything remained the same. The best day of my life was about to begin.I smoothed down the black silk of my dress,
Chapter EightyAricHer mouth was like fire, igniting every nerve in my body the moment her lips brushed against mine. That sweet, intoxicating taste of her lips sent my hands roaming over her body, as they always did. My fingers traced the length of her spine, searching for the zipper or whatever was holding her clothes together.I wanted to rip them off and take her right then and there. I was hard as hell, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.When she wrapped her lips around me, taking me into that slick, wet heat, a groan escaped my lips, deep and raw. It came from a place I didn’t even know existed, a place where I was completely out of control. Her mouth was a weapon, and she wielded it with devastating precision, knowing exactly how to draw out every ounce of pleasure from me.I knew it. I knew this was going to be the best time we’d ever had because she was so incredibly happy, and when she was happy, she always gave more. She wouldn’t be the only one to give tonight, I would
Chapter Eighty-oneCaeliaThe soreness of my pussy spread through my entire body, and I pressed myself closer to him with the need to be touched. A jolt of electricity shot through my body the moment his lips touched me, his tongue flicking through the most sore part of my pussy. I writhed under him.His hands gripped my hips, keeping my body in place as he worked his tongue in and out of me.My breath hitched, and I tried to steady myself, but the way his tongue traced over me, teasing and tasting me, made it impossible to stay composed. Each of his stroke was slow and deliberate, sending waves of pleasure rippling through me.He moved up to my clit, sucking it into his mouth, while his fingers found their way into my opening. My body wracked with delight, my toes curled and my eyes began to roll in their sockets. His fingers moved inside of me, easing my soreness and sending warmth through my body. And his suckle on my clit sent me closer and closer to the edge.I arched my back, p
Chapter Eighty-twoCaeliaThe best feeling was waking up on his broad chest, his arms wrapped around me, holding me lovingly and tenderly. I couldn’t help but giggle as I remembered the events of the day before—from the extravagant party I never could have imagined to yet another round of intense, passionate sex that left me utterly spent.He had to carry me to the bathroom, bathe me, and bring me back to bed. When I looked up, my eyes widened as I realized he had been watching me too.“Morning, sunshine,” he murmured, his voice still raspy as he leaned in to kiss my forehead. “We have to get back to your mom soon before she… well, you know what I mean,” he said with a smile.I nodded, even though I wanted nothing more than to stay there, savoring the sweetness of the moment. If I could, I’d stay like that forever. We partied, fucked, and fell asleep in the middle of the ocean, on the most expensive yacht in the world. Perfection was the only word for that moment.I rolled to the side
Chapter Eighty-threeCaeliaJust hours away from home and my mom, and it already felt like years—like I had been gone for a long time. There was no one to make me feel small, no one to call me names or make me feel bad about things I couldn’t control. Being away from her was a relief, a breath of fresh air.Aric and I arrived at the front of the house and headed inside. As we walked, his hand slipped down to grip my ass, and he shot me a teasing look.“A… Aric!” I gasped, quickly glancing back at the door to make sure my mom wasn’t anywhere around there.He pulled me closer, his hand settling on my waist as he lowered his head to mine. “Don’t worry,” he murmured with a grin, “I could even fuck you in front of your mom, and she wouldn’t even notice.”I laughed softly, moving my hands to his neck and drawing him closer. “Could you?” I asked, my voice low and sultry.He chuckled, “Do you want to find out? You want…”Before he could finish, the door creaked open. We quickly disentangled,
Chapter Eighty-fourCaeliaThe loud shrill of my phone notifying me of a message was what woke me, and my alarm blared just seconds later. I stirred from my sleep, turning from one side to the other. I wasn’t ready to get up yet, but remembering that I had to be at work by eight, I jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.I took a quick bath and got back into the room, my phone shrilling loudly again. I grabbed the phone from the table, swiping to the messages, and I completely froze when I read them.“You think it’s over? I am not done with you yet, so watch your back.” My hands trembled as I read the message out loud.I swiped to the second message and read it aloud too: “I am closely watching you, Caelia.” My phone slipped from my hand, but thankfully, it fell onto the bed.Who is this? Was it the same person taking pictures of our house weeks ago? The one I saw at school who disappeared minutes later? Or is this someone else? My heart pounded with fear, and I wasn’t sure wh
Chapter Eighty-fiveCaeliaI froze, my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes moved to the door, checking if I had somehow entered the wrong office. But no, this was the right place. I rubbed my eyes, half-expecting that I was seeing things just because I missed him so much. But when I looked again, he was still there—Aric, sitting behind the desk, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.It was as though he already knew I was coming, as if he was expecting me, the naughty smile on his face was nerve wracking.I knew he was wealthy, but I had no idea he owned this company—one of the most prestigious in the city. How could I not have known? What else didn’t I know about him? He didn’t even mention at all that he was the owner of this company. My mind raced with a thousand questions, but before I could process anything further, Aric rose from his seat.He moved toward me with the confidence of someone who owned the entire world, and his aura sent my whole body shaking. Emma was really right. W
Chapter 130 Author’s POV Caelia stood in front of the mirror, her hands trembling slightly as they rested on her baby bump. She glanced at Emma, who was adjusting the final touches on her veil. "How do I look?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, betraying the swirl of emotions beneath her calm exterior. She was happy, yet she was scared. Emma stepped back, admiring her work with a warm smile. "You look perfect, Caelia. My designs are always perfect, I know, but you? You’re more perfect than the dress.” She chuckled. Her words were soft, reassuring, but they couldn’t quite chase away the flutter of nerves building in Caelia’s chest. Caelia smiled back at her, though a bit of longing flickered in her heart. She twirled gently in the gown, the delicate lace brushing against her legs. The dress flowed around her like a dream, its soft fabric wrapping around her growing belly as if embracing the new lives inside her. She was radiant, but in this moment of beauty, her mind wan
Chapter 129CaeliaThe lights suddenly went out and I collapsed to the floor, sobbing into the darkness. It felt like my life had been swallowed by the same black void surrounding me. The world had crumbled, and the man I loved was gone, even though he was still breathing. I had waited for close to two months to see those eyes if his again, but he couldn’t even recognize me. What kind of life is this? But then, without warning, the lights flickered back on. Through my tears, I looked up and saw Emma standing in front of me, a soft smile on her face, holding a single rose. She walked toward me, her steps slow and deliberate, before kneeling down beside me. Without saying a word, she gently placed the rose in my hand, giving it a light squeeze. I was stunned. Confused. Emma had been the one I’d frantically called earlier, but she hadn’t picked up. “Emma, I…” Before I could complete my words, a nurse appeared, approaching me with another rose, handing it over in the same quiet way. My
Chapter 128Caelia“It’s important to take care of yourself, Caelia,” the doctor said gently, his eyes filled with concern. “Your babies need you to be strong. Stress isn’t good for them.”I nodded, offering him a weak smile. “I know. Thank you, Doctor.” I picked up my bag, the weight of his words settling over me as I moved out of the office. Outside the hospital, Jay was waiting in the car, as he always did. Without a word, I slid into the passenger seat."To the hospital?" he asked quietly.I gave a small nod, and he started the car. We drove in silence, my thoughts wandering as we made our way to see Aric. I could have chosen to have an attending doctor for my pregnancy at the same hospital where Aric was being treated—it would have been more convenient. But I couldn’t bring myself to change hospitals. I was still going to the one where my mother had taken me then to terminate the pregnancy, the one she called her friend, was now my attending doctor.Two weeks had passed since Ari
Chapter 127CaeliaEvery time I looked up and saw the red light above the operating room still on, and the notice that read, "In Surgery: Aric Phoenixbourne, Heart Transplant," it sent shivers down my spine. My heart raced, and I slumped back into a cloud of doubt. Before the surgery, the doctor had warned me about potential complications, some of which could be life-threatening. That warning echoed in my mind constantly. I had waited an entire month for this moment, but now, I was more terrified than ever.“He’ll be fine. I’m sure of it,” Aless said softly, patting my shoulder. He had already come to join us there after I informed him about the transplant “Aric isn’t the type to give up. He’ll pull through.”“Yes, he’s right, Cae. He’ll be okay,” Emma added, her voice filled with hope.All I could do was nod, my anxiety making it hard to speak. I continued pacing in front of the operating room, my eyes darting to the red light and back to the notice over and over again.“Caelia, you
Chapter 126Caelia(One Month Later)It took just minutes for me to realize that I was all alone, and the lives of four people depended on me and the decisions I made, especially my strength. I had to be strong for Aric and our babies. I had to hold on to the hope that, with time, everything would be fine.It has been a month since Mom’s death, a month since Aric had been hospitalized, and we’ve been waiting and hoping for a heart donor. As much as each passing day without a donor terrified me, I still held on to that hope that things would be fine, even though it was fading.Different complications had arisen over the months. There were moments when I thought I was going to lose him forever, moments when he had seizures that almost made my heart stop. Still, I held on to that hope, as faint as it was, that in the end, everything would be fine.I believed Aric would open his eyes. I believed he would be fine again, that he would come back to me, and we would live the rest of our lives
Chapter 125 Caelia My legs felt so heavy and numb, dragging with every step toward the morgue. My body shook, silent sobs wracking me, but I no longer had the strength to cry out loud. The sight of the morgue loomed ahead, and fresh tears blurred my vision as my legs wobbled, barely able to carry me forward. Aric's hand rested on my back, his touch firm yet gentle as he tried to steady me. His attempts to soothe the storm raging inside me were in vain. Nothing could calm the whirlwind of pain, loss, and devastation coursing through me. Why? Why did this have to happen? Just when I thought things were turning around, when I believed we'd finally have our happy ending—why did Mom have to leave me? I wished I could turn back time, be a better daughter, do something—anything—to change the outcome. Maybe, just maybe, if I hadn’t gotten pregnant, if I hadn’t… My legs buckled beneath me, and I crumbled to the cold floor, burying my face in my trembling hands. Sobs shook my shoulder
Chapter 124 Caelia I stared at her, unable to process what was happening, my vision blurring with tears. First Aric, now my mother. My heart clenched with pain as I watched her, blood seeping through her fingers as she clutched her chest, her breaths coming in ragged gasps that shattered me down to my soul. I didn’t know how long I stood there, watching helplessly, tears burning down my cheeks, blurring the horrific scene before me. My mom was dying, yet I couldn’t do anything about it. I was watching life slip away from her, but I could do nothing about it. My dad, Aric, and now mom? Why? What was this happening to me? What have I done wrong to deserve this much pain? My body shook as I knelt beside her, my knees crashing to the floor, finally finding the strength to move. Crawling on the cold blood stained floor, I reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. Her skin felt cold, and I could feel her pulse weakening. My body shook with fear. No! I can’t lose her too. “Mom, please,
Chapter 123CaeliaAric still didn’t move, no matter how hard and loud I called his name, he still laid there, motionless.“Bring her to me,” Axel’s voice cut through the chaos, cold and unfeeling.I barely registered his words before his men moved toward me. They grabbed my arms roughly, yanking me from the spot where I had been helplessly staring at Aric. My body shook violently as I tried to fight back, but it was useless. I was too weak, too broken, too hurt."Let me go!" I screamed, my voice hoarse with pain and rage. But they didn’t listen. I was dragged across the room, my eyes never leaving Aric's body, every step pulling me further away from him.I didn’t care about anything else at that moment. I just wanted to be with Aric, to hold him, to wake him up. But Axel’s cold command echoed in my mind as the guards pulled me closer to him, and my fear grew even more suffocating.“She is the reason we are here today. My darling daughter.” Axel smiled as I was brought to him, his gri
Chapter 122 Caelia No! That can’t be, that can’t be true. My biological father? That must be a lie. It must be the pressure or the fear; she must have said that just to get this over with. There’s no way a man like this could be my father. “No!” I screamed at my mom, hoping to snap her back to her senses. There was no reason to lie, no reason to fear this man. He wasn’t going to do anything to us. “That can’t be true, Mom.” I shook my head, a laugh escaping my lips out of fear. “You don’t have to lie to please him. I know it’s a lie, I know…” “It’s the truth, Caelia. This is the truth,” her voice cut me off, and a tear rolled down my cheek. I shook my head again. It wasn’t possible. I had known Aidan as my father for all of my twenty-one years. I had known just him as my father. How could this stranger be my biological father? It had to be a joke. There was no way this was true. Was Mom playing games with me? Or with him? There was no way he was my biological father. It was