The sudden sound of bursting her office door open made Anthea’s head snap up from her computer screen. With a frown, she looked ahead of her to see the uninvited intruder, who rudely interrupted her work and didn't even bother to knock. To her surprise, Emilia, a furious-looking Emilia, strode towards her desk after closing the door with a thud on her way. “Emi, you are back.” Anthea’s face bloomed into a smile as she looked at her cousin while getting up from her seat. She completely ignored the pissed-out look Emilia had plastered all over her face as she made her way next to her. “What the hell is this? What the hell is going on, Anthea Morin?” Emilia asked while holding the iPad she was holding in Anthea’s hand. Anthea was caught completely off guard as she struggled to grip the electronic device without dropping it on the floor. She glanced at Emilia with a confused expression before holding the iPad properly in her hands. “What?” She asked as she glanced at the screen of the
After around a week, Roman brought Noah to New York. The following week went really hectic for Anthea as she helped Noah move in and settle in her apartment, then finished the rest of his admission procedures. He was accepted to Columbia University to study finance. Anthea has been over the moon since the day he moved in with her. However, she was also a little worried about him. She didn't know how he would adjust to the place, which had given him so many bad memories. Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder if it was a good idea or not. Did she make the right decision by bringing him back to New York? Among everything else, what she was most afraid of was him finding out the truth she had been hiding from him for years. She didn't want him to find out the secret. It would completely break him. “Can I come with you? I don’t want to go home yet.” Noah’s gentle voice pulled her out of her thoughts as she glanced at him from the driver’s seat. “Won’t you get bored? I have a meeting
Anthea stared at the small pink-blue lily of the valley that Nevaeh held out in front of her, waiting for her to accept the flower. For some weird reason, her heart squeezed painfully in her chest as a sudden thought crossed her mind. Would her daughter also look like the little girl in front of her? Would she also bring a flower for her birthday once she finds her? “Do you not like it?” Seeing Anthea silent like that, Nevaeh asked in a small voice while pouting her lips adorably. This snapped Anthea out of her thoughts as she shifted her attention to Nevaeh. “Of course, I like it. How can I not like something you brought for me?” Anthea smiled broadly at the little girl while accepting the flower pot from her hand. Nevaeh let out a giggle of happiness as Anthea accepted her gift. “I grew it with my dad. It's the prettiest flower in our garden. I'm giving it to you, okay?” She informed Anthea, once again surprising her with this piece of information. Anthea was taken aback for a wh
After the four of them left Anthea’s office, Rayan insisted on driving in his car, which Anthea reluctantly agreed to. She sat in the back with Noah and Nevaeh, while Rayan sat in the passenger seat. Throughout the whole ride, Nevaeh kept her and Noah occupied with her thousands of questions. For a moment, Anthea let herself forget everything else as she chatted with Nevaeh and Noah, enjoying their company. She would feel Rayan’s eyes on her through the rearview mirror from time to time, which would completely annoy her. Sometimes she blatantly ignored his stares, and other times she would send him a piercing glare only for him to smirk at her. After around 20 minutes of driving with Noah and Nevaeh’s non-stop chatter and laughter, they finally reached the fancy restaurant. Anthea was glad to see Noah and Nevaeh enjoying each other’s company, and throughout the whole journey, she kept asking him all kinds of questions regarding drawing, her favourite flowers, and cartoons. When the
Flashbacks of the past-Lily sat quietly on the edge of the king-sized bed in her and Rayan’s shared bedroom. A bottle green ball gown lay next to her, which she was supposed to wear for the evening. Her mother-in-law had thrown a huge outdoor banquet in the backward garden of their estate. She had invited all of her rich and high-class close friends, celebrities, and political figures. All the people Lily didn't want to meet because she knew what she would feel inside those high-class crowds. A peasant. That word gave chills down her spine, as she still wasn't used to the world her in-laws used every single day to mock and humiliate her. The continued comparison with Aurelia Jones had now destroyed her self-esteem completely. She now feared even appearing in front of them. After spending eight months in that house, every single one of her dreams and expectations had already been shattered. The illusion she was living in had broken down into pieces, leaving only harsh reality. They w
Lily stood in a corner while trying to look for any sign of Rayan. She couldn't find him, even though half an hour had passed since she came to join the banquet. The banquet was already in full swing as well-known people from different backgrounds mingled together, ate, danced, and enjoyed all kinds of activities Camilla and Benjamin had arranged. Lily recognized some of the people from the previous gatherings she had attended, while the rest of the people were unknown to her. Ironically, there was not a single person she could talk to. It was already making her feel suffocated. The only people she was familiar with and could openly talk to were the helpers and butlers of the house. She had made good friends with three maids and a butler. Andrea and Molly were around her age, while Petra was a middle-aged woman. Her husband, Leo, was one of the butlers on the estate. They were the only people she could talk to besides Rayan, or else she would have died of loneliness and suffocation.
“She’s your wife?” Mia’s eyes went wide in shock as she questioned in pure disbelief. Her heart thumped wildly against her ribcage in fear. She didn't know that the girl whom Sarah and Aurelia introduced as one of their maids on the estate would suddenly turn out to be Rayan Allen’s wife. Why would they do such a prank on her and throw her in danger? “Are you fucking deaf?” Rayan chuckled dangerously while staring at Mia, making her shudder in fear. “Rayan, what's going on?” Benjamin asked as he walked towards his son, his eyes shifting on Lily, who was hiding in Rayan’s embrace. “You tell me what's going on here? Why are these fucking idiots calling and treating my wife as their servant? Where the fuck were you when they were humiliating my wife?” Rayan roared at his father, his eyes glaring directly into his without any fear. Benjamin’s eyes slightly narrowed at Rayan’s voice while he pressed his lips together in a tight line. “I think there's some kind of misunderstanding. Why
Almost two months have passed since the day of the banquet. Those two months seemed to be a little less painful and torturing for her, except for the fact that Rayan began to work harder and became busier than ever. After Rayan threatened everyone, Sarah, Camilla, and Aurelia stayed quiet for a few days and didn't bother her much; however, they seemed to already be back on their original track. Lily spent most of her days in her room, away from everyone. Her days were mostly spent chatting with her friends who were still in Canada, talking to her father and little brother, and then waiting for Rayan to be back home so that they could spend some quality time together. Besides, they were already planning for a family, which was why she was being extra cautious. She’s been debating with herself about whether she should talk to Rayan about her moving out or not. How could she suddenly just ask him to move out and be away from his family when she's the one who brought him back here? It wo