Chapter Thirty-twoAricAless and I had just finished discussing more about business over a glass of wine, and we had to stop at some point because he had to drive back home. I walked him to the door as we continued discussing other things. He wasn't just my manager but also my best friend, and he had proven himself worthy of my love and trust.We got to the door, and I input the passcode. “Don’t forget to tell our men what I told you,” I reminded him as I pushed the door open.He nodded. “I will. Just make sure you stay safe and keep your niece and her mom safe too,” he responded.The moment he mentioned my niece, it reminded me of the sharp pain I felt when Caelia told me she was going out with another guy. It reminded me of how I desperately wanted to stop her from going out with anyone else, but I also didn’t want to show that desperation. I had planned to make her beg to come back, not for me to beg her.Aless was about to open his car door when I grabbed his hand and turned him
Chapter Thirty-threeCaeliaI stood confused and surprised. I thought it was all in my head. I thought I was just imagining it. I never knew I was seeing right—he was here. Did he follow me? Was it a coincidence? Did he come here to ruin my date?A number of questions raced through my head, and it was hard to answer any of them.I remember him saying he wasn’t jealous and acting like he didn’t care about anything I did. He even wished me a good date and told me there was nothing to be jealous about. But now he was here? What exactly does this man want? I just couldn’t tell. He was so confusing, making it difficult for me to figure out what was going on in his mind. I had no way to know what he wanted.“What are you doing here?” I finally asked. He stood there, his hands in his pockets, not flinching. He acted like he was supposed to be there. “Did you follow me here?” I questioned.Aric just stood there, making no movement or sound, staring at me. His eyes moved from my head to my toe
Chapter Thirty-fourCaelia"Fuck me." Those words escaped my lips, and the glow in his eyes was so hot that I bit my lower lip in response.With his hand still squeezing my breasts, but in a more gentle manner, he asked, "What did you say?"I grabbed his collar and pressed myself against his chest. I couldn’t think about anything else other than finding the warmth to the heat underneath me. "Fuck me," I mumbled.He shook his head. "I didn’t hear you." His hand circled around my neck, and he lifted my head. "Repeat that."I knew what he was doing. It was embarrassing, but I was at a point where I didn’t care about how my actions would make me feel at that moment or after. All I wanted was to find ease for my aching part. All I wanted was to have him inside of me, to relive that night we spent together."I asked you to fuck me." I repeated and hopped down from the sink, reaching for his trousers. My hand trailed around his groin, and I could feel his hardness through his pants. My body
Chapter Thirty-five Aric The ache I felt down there was so intense; my dick throbbed painfully. I wanted to fuck her just like she asked, to touch her and explore her body like it was mine. But I also wanted to show her what it meant to be away from me. I wanted her to see that she couldn’t do without me and that just my touch was enough to make her beg for me. The longing and urge to fuck her were so irresistible that I had to leave as fast as I could. If I didn’t, I would’ve torn down her dress and taken her right there. I was fucking serious when I said that. Everything I said was what I wanted to do to her. I wanted to fuck her and watch her struggle to walk, to rock her until she begged me to stop. But she still hasn’t stopped taking me for granted. She hasn’t stopped making me repeat myself and not listening to me. She needs to understand that there are certain things she shouldn’t do, like dressing that way in public. The way that guy was staring at her made my skin
Chapter Thirty-six Caelia Every single detail of what happened yesterday was etched in my mind, never leaving. I couldn’t push it off no matter how hard I tried. His touch, his smell, his strong and commanding words, the firm squeeze of my breasts that continued to feel like his hand was still on them whenever I looked down. I still remembered every single detail. How he left me halfway, how he made me beg for him but never fulfilled my desires, how he acted like he didn’t want the same thing when I could feel his hard cock pushing against me. If he knew he wasn’t going to do anything with me, then why did he set me in the mood? It beat me every single time I thought about it. Like it occurred to me back in the restroom, he was a lot, and I knew nothing about him. The only thing I knew was that he was a bachelor, my dad’s brother. Those were the things my mom told me about him, nothing more. Who was he exactly? I wanted to know more than I already did. I wanted to know him, t
Chapter Thirty-seven Caelia “What time did you get there yesterday? How was he dressed? Did you find him attractive? Did he compliment your dress? He must have; I did a great job setting you up,” Emma bombarded me with questions. “Did you get to know him better? Did you kiss him?” She squealed and grabbed my hands. “Tell me everything. I want to hear it all,” she added as we headed towards the gate. I had managed to stall the explanation until now, but it seemed there was no longer an escape. Emma was eager to hear it, I could already see it. I could read the desperation on her face, and I knew she wouldn’t let me leave until I explained everything that happened. “Tell me, Cae!” She shook my arm, as if trying to shake the story out of me. “Don’t tell me you messed it up!” She frowned. “No, I didn’t,” I murmured, looking ahead to see Jay waving at me. “He had all my favorite meals ready before I got there. I had constipation while eating, and we had to leave early.” That was t
Chapter Thirty-eightCaelia"Be yourself, do you, don't mess it up, make up for last night." All of Emma's advice went to waste when I got to the cinema to meet Eric, and we both settled in for the movie.As the movie played, all I could think about was Aric, and how good and exciting it would be to see this movie with him. Everything Eric did, which I was supposed to appreciate and feel lucky about, just made me think more about Aric. I wanted him to do all these things for me instead of Eric. I desperately wanted him to tell me what he was thinking and stop confusing me.It was no surprise that I spent the whole two hours of the movie thinking about him. The night we spent together, his touch, his smell, his deep and hoarse voice—all of it reminded me of him. I didn't know how to get him off my mind. I had tried a lot of things, but none seemed to be working."I hope you enjoyed the movie," Eric said as we headed out of the cinema.I nodded and forced a smile on my face, hoping he w
Chapter Thirty-nine Aric I had been standing in the same spot for over an hour, waiting for her to return. By the time she did, she came back with that same guy from yesterday! My blood boiled, and I found it difficult to contain my anger. It was the hardest thing I'd experienced in years. When Mari called me saying she was going on another trip and would be out of the city again, I thought it would be my chance to make it up to Caelia and follow my heart rather than pushing back my feelings. I asked Isa to cook the best food she could make, and I asked the other maids to set up Caelia's room in the best way possible. I was so excited for her arrival, only to wait for hours without seeing her. Her mom called me, and I was dumbfounded. In all my years, I never imagined I could be so speechless. I didn't know what to say to Mari. She was scared something might have happened to her daughter, and I was just as scared and worried. It got worse when I went to their house and couldn
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