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Anthea thanked Samuel, who drove her home before getting out of the car. She directly walked into the elevator and pressed the button on the penthouse before taking a step back. The silence in the void of the elevator matched exactly what she was feeling inside. Empty. As the elevator reached the top floor, Anthea slowly got off the elevator while clutching her handbag to her chest in a tight grip. As soon as she reached the entrance of the penthouse, she rang the bell with a shaky hand. In just a few minutes, the door pulled open before Emilia came into her view. “Thea! Is everything alright?” Emilia asked worriedly as soon as she opened the door. Just a glance at Anthea’s face showed she already knew something terrible had happened. The bag in Anthea’s hand fell with a thud on the floor as she looked at Emilia before throwing herself in her arms, catching her completely off guard. Emilia stumbled on her steps slightly while still managing to wrap her arms around Anthea somehow. “Th
“Did you get everything?” Rayan’s deep voice rasped in the room as he leaned back on his leather chair. He was, as usual, dressed in a blue business suit with a white shirt tucked underneath. His soft, luscious hair was pulled back on the top of his head, with a few strands falling out carelessly. His powerful aura and intimidating presence could make anyone weak on their knees, but not his secretary, Asher Parker, who had been with him for almost seven years.“I'm trying to dig as much as possible; however, there's something I can’t break through. All the information regarding her past and the last five years is either modified or completely erased. There's a powerful figure who is protecting her, and I believe it's Roman Morin, her brother.” Asher cleared his throat slightly before beginning to answer Rayan’s question. He tried his best not to be affected by the grim look on Rayan’s face as he clenched his fingers, controlling his anger after hearing his response.“Of course, he wil
Anthea forced herself to stay calm and act neutral, even though her insides were in turmoil. She slowly shifted her eyes from the scene before focusing her gaze on Asher, who was looking at her with guilt too. What's with them and their guilty expression? Did they think she still cared? Or did they really think of her as a porcelain doll who was easiest to break?“It's fine as long as it doesn't affect my work, Mr. Parker.” Anthea forced a smile, trying hard to act normal. She couldn't let those people get her or break through her. She wasn't so easy to break.“Thank you, Ms. Morin. Now please follow me.” Asher sighed out of relief as he smiled at Anthea, who nodded at him. The three of them walked and reached where Rayan, Aurelia, and Nevaeh were.“Look, daddy. It's the pretty lady who called me princess.” As soon as Nevaeh saw Anthea appear, her face bloomed into a beautiful grin as she rushed towards her father, leaving her mother standing there. Rayan smiled down at her before nod
Silas?” Anthea’s voice came out somewhat squeaky as she ran towards him. She quickly reached him before pulling him into a hug.“I didn't know you were coming.” She said, sounding unbelievably Silas let out a chuckle as they broke the hug.“Of course. How could I let you go alone with him?” He responded with a scoff, making Anthea grin. A sudden wave of relief washed over her, seeing Silas there. The thought of having him back was making her feel overwhelmed. Even though she was strong, having someone by her side was something different.“I didn't know you were also joining us, Mr. Harrington.” Rayan, who watched the exchange between them, commented with a cold voice when his eyes met Silas's. Silas looked at him with a neutral expression before his eyes slowly scanned Aurelia and Nevaeh.“I also had no idea you were taking your daughter and fiancee on our business trip, Mr. Allen.” Silas fired back with a mocking smile. The smugness on his face made Rayan’s face harden. The two men s
“Who’s Lily, Daddy?” Nevaeh asked, looking between her father and Anthea innocently as soon as she heard the unfamiliar name. Anthea was the first one to snap out as her face slowly became apathetic while her lips pressed in a thin line. Rayan noticed the change in her emotion, making him take a step back. “What happened, Daddy?” Nevaeh was again questioned innocently as she stared at her father with those innocent blue eyes. Rayan looked down at her before shaking his head slightly. “She’s Lily.” Rayan’s direct and honest tone almost made Anthea choke on her saliva as she snapped her head towards him with a sharp glare. She didn't expect him to answer Nevaeh honestly; however, he surprised her. Anthea took a long breath, trying to refrain from saying anything in front of the child. “Really? I like the name so much.” Nevaeh answered while giggling adorably. Anthea looked at the innocent, smiling face, her heart aching badly. “That’s not my name. My name is Anthea.” She denied Rayan
Lily walked quietly on her tiptoe while carefully making sure not to make a single sound. She tried her best to hold the wide grin on her face to spread any further as she quietly made her way towards the terrace. The chilly night breeze welcomed her warm skin as soon as she stepped in the empty place. However, the smile on her face turned into a grin the moment she realised the whole terrace was pitch black, without a single bit of lights except for the distant ones that were coming from the neighbourhood. “Rayan?” She called out in a soft yet slightly startled voice while carefully making her way inside. Her eyes carefully scanned the empty space for any possible sign of him however there was none besides it was too dark for her to spot his tall figure. She waited for a single moment, to hear any response. However, a few seconds passed yet she didn't hear any response making a soft sigh escape her lips. “Why did Noah lie to me?” She wondered with a small frown covering her beautif
“Oh, my God! Is that a pink lily of the valley?"Lily exclaimed in awe as she stared at the small plant covered with small pink flowers on Rayan’s hand. As she slowly shifted her eyes between the plant and Rayan, she noticed him smile while gently nodding his head. “Yes. I know you wanted this.” Rayan answered while chuckling softly at her awkward face. He then pushed the flower plant in her direction while gesturing to her to hold the plant. Lily’s smile widened as she finally took the plant from his hand. “Is that a pink lily of the valley I see?” Abigail’s voice held a hint of surprise as she walked over to Lily. “Yes.” Lily answered excitedly while bringing the small plant near her nose before taking a long whiff of the flower. The sweet fragrance of the flower hit her nose, making her instantly obsessed with it. “It smells like heaven.” Lily murmured under her breath while taking another sniff of the flower’s sweet smell. “Just like you.” She heard Rayan say as he stared at h
The private jet finally landed in Miami after two and a half hours of travel. The seven of them, including Neveah, drove directly to the hotel, where they would be staying in two different cars. Throughout the whole journey, Anthea was completely distracted. Her mind kept drifting to the shocking things that Nevaeh told her before Rayan interrupted them, taking Nevaeh back to him. From that moment on, Anthea couldn't focus on a single thing, as she felt like her whole body had completely frozen.How could Rayan tell the child something like that? How could he? She just couldn't think of any possible answers. The story Nevaeh told her wasn't something that was related to Aurelia. It was something that she cherished within her. That fucking bastard was playing with everything.“Are you alright?” Silas’s worried voice rang a bell in her head, making her look at him. She forced a fake smile in his direction before nodding her head. Her eyes landed on the plate full of untouched food. A si
"Why are we here, Rayan?" Anthea asked the moment she realised where Rayan had brought her! This was the place she dreaded coming to the most.Her father’s grave! Anthea’s mind went blank just thinking of this place. She had never visited this place in the last six years. She just couldn’t go there. Never. It had given her so many memories, sorrows, and pains, along with happiness. "Just trust me, please, baby.""But Rayan, you know I can't." Anthea shook her head; her voice sounded broken and vulnerable. Rayan quickly hugged her, rubbing her back to calm her down. "I know it's hard. But you have to be strong. You are strong. It's high time, Anthea; you need to let this heartbreak go and confront your fear. He's waiting for you, baby," Rayan encouraged while caressing her hair lightly. "You know I can't. It's too painful. I just can't face him, Rayan. How am I going to answer him? He's mad at me, I'm sure. Anthea let out a sob as tears slowly started to fall from her eyes. "Don't
“How did it go?” Anthea asked anxiously as soon as Rayan stepped into the living room. He smiled at her before pulling her into a tight hug. “Everything went well. I have already submitted all the evidence and they are taking the case directly to the court. He wouldn't be able to escape this time.” He answered while burying his face in the crook of his neck, trying to relax. Anthea let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god! You should have taken me with you.” She expressed it heartily while hugging her arms around Rayan’s back. “No! I don't want his dirty eyes to land on you, even for a second. I will take care of everything from here while you just stay here and take care of Nevaeh and our family.” Rayan raised his head and shook it before speaking. Anthea sighed again, totally understanding his concern. “I'm glad finally it's over with the Jones and we can relax.” Anthea smiled, changing the subject as they broke the hug while walking towards the couch. No one was present in the livi
Sebastian just got out of his car and was about to enter the Jones Corporation when a few men walked towards him before blocking his path. “Mr Jones.” One of the men called him before flashing him his ID card. Sebastian, who was surprised by the sudden unwanted visit, looked at the ID card of the man and realised they were from the Central Bureau of Investigation. “What brings you here, Officer?” Sebastian asked, trying to smile politely at them, but deep down he already had an ominous feeling rising inside his chest. “You are under arrest. Please raise your arms and cooperate with us.” The officer announced this loudly, grabbing some passersby’s attention who let out visible gasps while witnessing the scene. Sebastian was quite startled too, as he didn't expect some CBI officer to suddenly appear and tell him that he was being arrested. “What?” He looked at the officer in confusion, not understanding what was going on. “Handcuff him.” The officer ignored his words as he gestured
After the dinner ended, everyone was sitting around and casually chatting when Roman got up from his seat before walking towards Rayan, who was talking to Elijah. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?” Roman asked Rayan after reaching him. He excused himself from Elijah before nodding politely at Roman. “Of course.” He answered, making Roman nod. Elijah excused himself before giving them some space to talk. “Let's go somewhere quiet.” Roman offered, making Rayan nod. They were about to walk out of the VIP dining lounge when Anthea’s sudden voice stopped them. “Where are you two going?” She asked, looking at them with a frown. Rayan was about to answer her when Roman beat him to it. “Smoking!” Rayan blurted out while trying to cover something from Anthea. The moment the answer left his mouth, Anthea’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her husband with a scowl. “Rayan! I told you to quit smoking.” She glared at him, looking totally pissed. Rayan sighed as he looked at her angry expre
“Anthea, Rayan!” Athena greeted her enthusiastically as soon as Anthea, Rayan, and Nevaeh stepped into the private dining room. “Hey!” Anthea smiled while walking towards her, while Rayan stayed behind her, holding Nevaeh. “We were waiting for you!” Athena said, smiling heartily. Anthea smiled back, her eyes shifting to Roman, Elijah, and Emilia, who were already sitting on the chairs. Emilia waved her hand slightly when she met Anthea’s gaze. “Oh my God! Is that our little princess?" Athena exclaimed in joy when she caught sight of Nevaeh, who was walking beside her father, looking like an angel. Athena was totally awestruck by the sight of Nevaeh. “Yeah!” Anthea nodded with a chuckle, while Rayan smiled. “Nevaeh, say hi to your uncles and aunts." Anthea turned around before instructing Nevaeh with a smile. She looked at her mother before looking at Athena, who was still looking at her with a smile. “Hi!” She grinned shyly while trying to hide behind her father. Rayan let out a
“You didn't tell me you were coming here.” Rayan asked in surprise when he met Anthea in the hallway of the hospital. He was just returning after checking in with his father. He thought she would be going to the office directly after meeting Silas. “Because I knew I would find you here.” Anthea replied with a barely visible smile on her face. Rayan already noticed her dim expression, causing him to frown in concern. “Is everything okay?” He asked, walking towards her before holding her hand. Anthea glanced at him before nodding her head slightly. “Yeah. How is Mr. Allen?” She asked, trying to change the subject. Rayan also realised it but said nothing. He quietly followed her back to the VIP ward. “Better than before. He will be moved to the general word tonight after they did some last inspection.” He replied while intertwining his hands with her. “That's good news.” Anthea nodded, a genuine smile spreading across her lips at the good news. It didn't even pass 48 hours and his c
“You know where. How could you forget what you went through because of him? If it wasn't for family and me, Silas didn't finish his sentence and stopped midway when he noticed Anthea's eyes glaring sharply at him.“So you really think that just because you helped me in my darkest phase, you have some sort of right over me?” Anthea asked, her eyes flashing with coldness at the sudden realisation. “Anthea!” Silas uttered, looking at her with a blank expression. Anthea couldn't read what was running inside her head but at the moment, she barely cared. “Answer me, Silas. Is that what you think?” Anthea pressed further, her expression remaining the same. At that moment, she was sure about one thing: Rayan didn't lie or misunderstand anything. It was she who was blind and delusional. She couldn't see the truth, which was already before her eyes. “Did Rayan tell you this?” Silas suddenly asked back, his expression hardening. He didn't expect that son of a bitch, Rayan, to vomit every sin
“Drop me at this address.” Anthea said this while showing Rayan an address on her phone. “Why? You are not going to the office?” Rayan, who was driving the car, asked before taking the phone from her hand and then glancing at the address. “No. I'm going to meet Silas.” Anthea answered with a sigh. She noticed Rayan’s face hardening as soon as the words left her mouth. For a moment, he didn't say anything. “Okay. I'm going to the hospital to check on Dad. Call me if anything happens.” He nodded after a moment of silence while focusing on the road. “Okay. How is your dad?” Anthea nodded back before inquiring about Benjamin. She didn't receive any news on him from the moment she left the hospital with Silas. “He's improving.” Rayan muttered while taking a turn. The address Anthea showed him wasn't far. “I'm glad to hear that.” She sighed in relief, knowing Benjamin was getting well. She just hoped nothing bad would happen and he would eventually recover. Last night, they talked, an
“Because Silas told me you were in his house and you were going to stay with him when he came to pick Nevaeh up.” Rayan answered, feeling angry and helpless. He shouldn't have listened to that bastard in the first place. He should have known better. “What the hell!” Anthea stared at him in shock. “You don't believe me?” Rayan’s face hardened as he noticed the disbelief in her eyes. She was unwilling to believe him, which meant she trusted that bastard over him. Anthea shook her head immediately. “No! It's not like that. Why would he say something like that?” She denied it before inquiring. Rayan’s expression changed again as he took a step back from her; however, his eyes never left her. “Because he wants to provoke me and create misunderstandings between us.” He answered while grinding his teeth. Anthea frowned as disbelief crossed her eyes. “What are you saying, Rayan? Silas would never do something like that.” She shook her head, trying to deny everything Rayan just said. Ther