Chapter Nineteen Aric. After my brother's death, I had never for once felt any pain. No amount of knife stabs or gunshot could make me feel the same pain I felt when I saw my brother swimming in the pool of his own blood or when I held his cold body in my hands, lifeless and still. That was what I thought until Hailey, the woman I loved with every breath in me, and every single strand of hair on my body broke my heart. She didn’t just break my heart but broke it into multiple pieces that were unrepairable. I was thrown into total darkness with a big void to feel. I felt worthless and hopeless for the first time in my entire forty years of existence. I loved Hailey, more than I had loved every other woman I had met in the past. Yes, I have had multiple flings and been in a lot of relationships in the past but none of them had ever made me feel like Hailey did. She was the first woman that made me feel calm and safe. I decided to end everything that had to do with mafia activities,
Chapter TwentyCaeliaMy eyes scanned around, wondering who Emma was talking about, even though I was in the last mood to get matched with another guy.“He is a new guy. You can just start as friends with him and you both can move it up from there.” She leaned in. “We have just one lecture before lunch. I can find a way for you two to meet.”I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Thank you Emma, but I'm fine.” I stated and resumed walking.“But he's really cute, I mean way more handsome than that fucking gay and..”“Emma,” I cut her off with a stern look. “You can’t tell anyone that, you promised.”“Yes, and I’ll continue to keep my promise, but it’s just the two of us here.” She smiled and swung her arm around my shoulder, pulling me in. “Just check this new guy out first, then you can decide.”“Okay, but we need to get to the class first.” I muttered and hastened my steps, trying to focus on getting to class and avoiding Emma's matchmaking schemes.I just wanted to be alone and pu
Chapter Twenty-oneCaelia I wanted that. I wanted him. I was tired of denying what I wanted. I could no longer hold back the burning desire whirling up inside of me.His hands around my waist drew me closer, causing me to lean against him. I met his alluring eyes and immediately parted my lips as though it was a command I got from those bewitching eyes of his.He smiled softly and lowered his mouth to mine. The next second he was kissing me hungrily and needily, as if he couldn’t get enough of me.My hand sidled to his back, grabbing a handful of his shirt and pressing myself against him.The deep, raspy sound he made in my mouth sent a cold wave down my body and lower to cause a break of wetness down my thighs. I wanted him so badly. I was wet, and ready for him. Finally, he stepped back and looked into my eyes, “do you really want this?” He asked, his intense stare drawing me in.I closed the distance between us and slipped my hand to his back once again. “I’ve always wanted this.
Chapter Twenty-twoCaeliaHe rewarded me with another kiss, his hands still tight around my waist with his finger digging into my ass. His teeth, his lips, and his tongue were hot and desperate against mine, rolling and tasting me.Then his kiss dropped to my neck, toying, biting and playing. Stimulating my sensitive skin.His hand traced an invisible straight line down my neck and on to the rope of my bra. He untied it swiftly while he claimed my lips back.My breasts hung free and heavy. I felt my hard nipple against his bare chest and it sent another wave of wetness down my thighs. The ache and pain started again, and before I knew it, I was rolling my waist against his crotch, finding the soothing sensation to the ache.He broke the kiss and my nipple puckered under his gaze. My eyes blinked as he cupped my breasts. The slow movement of his teeth biting his lower lips sent a soft moan out of my mouth.“You are so gorgeous, sunshine.” A strangled sound escaped his throat as his thu
Chapter Twenty-threeCaeliaI curled into Aric’s warm embrace. I’d never felt so comfortable, so satiated. I wanted to say in his arms forever, to be with him forever. I closed my eyes, nuzzling against his chest. I might have to stay away from him again, and we might go back to ignoring each other once more. But right now, I wanted to spend every moment we had left soaking in the aftermath of our lovemaking and the sense of belonging I felt in his arms.I could still feel the ache between my legs, not from wanting to be touched like hours ago, but from being overly touched and satisfied by him. The way he ate my folds like an hungry man, the pounding and thrust into me like his life depended on it, I wanted to savor that feeling.Opening my eyes again and looking around, I realized that we were no longer by the pool but in the room and on the bed. We were still both naked, and I could still feel his cock pushing against my legs.I smiled softly and my hand swung to his waist as I r
Chapter Twenty-threeAric.“I’ll get us something to drink.” I said to her and headed for the bar.The four to five hours I had spent with her made up for the bad day I was having. My confused and troubled thoughts had been replaced with just the thought of her and how beautiful she looked like.My mind which was filled with chaotic feelings had also been replaced with just the feeling of wanting more of her and her sexy body. Even though there was this thought that kept lingering at me that I might be doing the wrong thing and I wasn’t supposed to having this sort of relationship with my niece, it couldn’t beat the feeling and longing I felt whenever I was with her.A part of me saw no wrong in what I was doing and I just went with this part of me, ignoring the other parts.I got to the bar and grabbed two glasses of wine, filling both and then placing it on a small tray that was also on the shelf. I was about to pick it up when my phone rang and I searched through my pocket for it.
Chapter Twenty-fourCaeliaA tear rolled down my cheek as I rushed out of the house, my heart racing with a mixture of pain and anger. How I wished I hadn’t met him. I could have just gotten over Ethan with those bottles of beer. But it all seemed hard now; the pain I was feeling was more extreme than what I felt when I caught my fiancé with another man.My heart throbbed as I hopped into the car. I turned to the window and sniffled multiple times to pull my tears back, but it didn’t work. I felt miserable, confused, and frustrated. I knew he was my uncle, and there was that thought that had been lingering around my mind since I met him—the thought that what was going on between us might never work, that I might end up heartbroken, that I might end up being left alone by him just when I needed him the most, and it had happened. I wished I had never met him at the bar that night. I would have been able to avoid this feeling. I wouldn’t have put myself in this mess, where my uncle, the
Chapter Twenty-fiveCaeliaThe last person I expected to be in the chancellor’s office was Aric. What in heaven's name was he doing there? I watched as the chancellor walked out of the office, leaving us alone, but I couldn’t move from the spot I was in.What was he doing here? What did he want? Why did he have to come to my school? The only reason I could think of was if something big had happened and my attention was needed. Thinking about that, my heart began to race. What could have happened? Is anything wrong with my mom? Is she okay?All of these questions were answered when he cleared his throat and turned his chair to face me. “I came here to speak to you, Caelia, and you have to listen to me,” he stated.“Talk to me?” I asked, my face furrowed. Why does he want to talk to me? For what reason? “I already said I have nothing to say to you, and if that is why you are here, then you have to leave,” I added with a low scoff. I had already made up my mind not to allow myself to be
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