Sam rushed into my office and said:"Cat, we need to go. Patrick called and told us to hurry to his house. Something's going on, everyone's there.""This is all so strange! I thought Patrick and Alan were acting weird," I commented."I noticed that too. But let's go, he said it's urgent and the driver is waiting for us in the garage."I grabbed my purse and left with Sam. Dennis was behind us and seemed even tenser than usual. He put us in the car and got in the front seat, which was unusual.When we left the building's parking lot, I looked out the window and saw that woman, Liz, at the building entrance. A chill ran through my entire body. What was happening?When we arrived at Patrick's house, I was shocked. Even the girls were there. Even Mari via video conference. And it seemed like everyone was crying. My head was spinning; in just a few seconds, I thought of the most terrible things, felt my knees weaken, and passed out.When I came to, I was lying on the couch, and Alexander wa
Alexander’s POVAfter everything that happened today, all I wanted is to go home and see my son. “My son! Peter is my son!” But because of the medication, Catherine passed out on Patrick's couch. She didn't want to go to one of the bedrooms, said she wanted to stay close to everyone, so I sat down and put her head in my lap. She fell asleep with my fingers in her hair.Dr. Molina told us to wait until she wakes up before leaving, gave me lots of information about her pregnancy and many details about Peter's pregnancy, which he also monitored. After talking for a long time, he said goodbye and left. Alan took the cue and left too, and Mari ended the video call."So, father of the year, how are you feeling?" Patrick asked excitedly. "Because I'm going to end Melissa and Fred's reign and become the most doting uncle in the world.""Keep dreaming, Patrick! You might outdo Fred, but me, darling? Impossible!" Melissa said, making everyone laugh."Patrick, I don't even have the right words to
Alexander’s POV"What's going on?" I heard Catherine's voice and went to her. She had woken up because of all the commotion."My angel, I'll tell you later. Fred, please take Cat to the library," I asked Fred, knowing he would protect her."No, I want to know what's happening," Catherine insisted."Oh, so this is the beggar you fell in love with?" Liz started saying. "I heard you got involved with some nobody. But honey, don't fool yourself, because he loves me!""Are you crazy, Liz? Whatever we had ended a long time ago.""I don't think so, Alex. You had me every way possible in New York last week!" Liz taunted."You street trash, I'm going to mess up that cynical face of yours so bad that no surgeon will be able to fix it this time." Melissa went crazy, grabbing Liz by the hair again. The chaos was set."ENOUGH!" We heard Catherine's shout. "Mel, let go of that bitch."Melissa released her and looked at her friend. Catherine stood up, adjusted her dress and hair, and walked toward Li
It didn't take long for Lygia to enter, pulling Peter by his little hand. When he saw Alexander, he let go and ran towards him."Alexandaaa!" Peter stretched out his little arms, and Alexander crouched down, picking him up."Peter. My boy." Alexander was crying, overwhelmed with emotion from having his son in his arms. I looked around, and everyone was crying, including me."Alexanda, I missed you. You didn't come to play with me anymore," Peter complained."Oh, my boy, I'm dying of missing you too." Alexander spoke as they hugged each other tightly."Hi, Mommy." Peter turned to me. "Uncle Patrick sent for us.""That's right. And aren't you going to say hi to everyone?" I asked him."Ah, Mommy, I missed Alexanda so much!" He said, resting his little head on Alexander's shoulder, who couldn't stop crying. "Hi, everyone!" Peter waved and looked around, greeting everyone at once. "Why are you crying, Alexanda?""Because I'm so happy to see you," Alexander could barely speak. "Sorry, every
When we got home, Peter took a box of building blocks from his room and spread them on the living room carpet. Alexander sat down with him, and they spent the afternoon playing and watching cartoons.After dinner, Peter was exhausted. He fell asleep in his father's arms, who insisted on putting him to bed. Coming back to the living room, Alexander hugged me on the couch."Angel, we need to talk." Alexander sighed. "There's so much I want to know. But I also have some things to tell you. I don't know where to start.""Start by telling me about New York," I asked, sitting facing him."It was Friday, the day we arrived there. We went to a bar at night, and Liz showed up. I was upset and losing hope that you'd come back to me. You were dating Levy. So I went to Liz's apartment. It was stupid, but it was just that one time." Alexander closed his eyes. "And like you said, I was with her, but I could only think of you.""I won't say I didn't care, because I cared a lot. But I won't fight with
I woke up alone and heard noise coming from the kitchen. I got up and found my two men having an animated conversation about the "new house." Alexander and Peter were sitting having breakfast. Alexander had prepared hot chocolate and a grilled cheese sandwich for Peter, who was smiling and chewing while listening to his dad talk. The table was beautifully set with fruits, juice, yogurt, bread, cold cuts, eggs, and cookies. I leaned against the doorframe and watched them - they were already dressed and showered. Had I slept that long? I didn't even know what time it was."Mommy!" Peter was the first to spot me and sound the alarm."Good morning, sweetie!" I walked towards my little boy and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Good morning to you too." I turned and gave Alexander a quick kiss."Good morning, angel! Come, we made breakfast, right Peter?""Yes, daddy!" Peter was in his morning happiness mode that I never understood where it came from."I didn't want to wake you, you were tire
"Well, well, if it isn't little Sardines remembering her old friends," the voice on the other end teased."Michael, darling, I never forget my old friends. You guys are family, honey! How are you?" Virginia's eyes were sparkling."I'm good. Just need a girlfriend to comfort me since my friend went off to catch some sun in Malibu," Michael referred to Levy's departure."Don't be so dramatic!" Virginia scolded. "But I actually called to tell you something I know will cheer you up.""Oh really? I'm listening.""That fool Henry really messed up and Sam is single now," Virginia revealed."Nooo! Are you serious, Sardines?""Yep, Henry's out of Samantha's life.""Sardines, you're the best! But I gotta go now. We'll talk later." Michael quickly hung up.It wasn't long before Sam's phone rang. She picked it up and showed us the screen - it was Michael. She put it on speaker:"Michael, what a surprise. Everything okay?""My queen, I'm dying of sadness. You know my friend left, I'm feeling so lon
On Monday, we dropped Peter off at daycare, and I took the opportunity to inform them that Alexander was Peter's father and could pick him up too. When we arrived at the office, Alexander kept pulling me toward his office."Alexander, my office is on the other side," I reminded him.He groaned and closed his eyes, saying he'd forgotten. I saw Rick leaving my office with a smile on his face."Good morning, power couple!" Rick was excited. "Hope you two don't mind, but I went back to working with my old boss. I'm not in the mood to sit in the front office listening to you two moaning.""Rick..." I said, shocked."Oh, come on, pretty woman, I know exactly what goes down in the president's office.""He's not wrong, my angel." Alexander had a mischievous smile plastered on his face."Relax, friend, I've already moved everything back," Samantha informed without leaving her desk.When I entered my office, everything was indeed in order, and as every Monday, there was a tulip arrangement on th
Samantha’s POVAfter all the stress from Enzo's birthday party, Hebe insisted we should go to her beach house the following weekend. She wanted to get excited about the wedding preparations right away, and she was genuinely thrilled about it.That weekend, off we went - friends, family, and dogs included. I invited Ivy and Luna, thinking it would be good for both of them to take their minds off things. Their parents were happy to see them so cheerful after Ivy's difficult week. Her mother told me she had been having nightmares and becoming very anxious.Henry, to my surprise, was very excited about the beach wedding. He kept talking about how beautiful Hebe's house was, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Hebe really had a taste for luxury and enormous houses. I'd say it was more of a beachfront mansion.The house was two stories high, built in an L-shape, with numerous glass walls - another thing Hebe loved because it allowed natural light to flood in. It also had a large infinity p
Henry’s POVThe situation with Reynold had gone completely out of control. He went too far by trying to assault the girl at his own grandson's birthday party. That was the last straw for Edward. Edward was furious and rightfully so, just like my nephew. As for my sister, she was deeply shaken that this had happened in her home, and the next day she called the landscaper to demolish the hidden garden and rebuild it completely open.The day after the party, we visited Ivy's family, trying to apologize for all of Reynold's mess. Fortunately, they were a very upstanding family with exceptional kindness. They were very grateful to Sam and Vince for looking for and taking care of Ivy, preventing the worst from happening.Ivy was very brave and filed a detailed police report, and Edward handed over the security camera footage. Luckily, Ivy's father was a judge's brother and knew the judge handling the case against Reynold. Given this and all the evidence we gathered, including the attack on S
Samantha’s POVGradually, Ivy began to calm down, embraced by Vince who hadn't let go of her since we found her. It was clear that Vince was more than upset about what had happened to her."Ivy, how are you? Do you want to talk about what happened?" Vince asked gently, since Ivy had stopped crying."Vince, I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, Enzo's grandfather cornered me," Ivy began. "Enzo had already warned my sister and me to stay away from him, saying he was a bad person. But he grabbed me by force, covered my mouth, and dragged me out through the back. I couldn't break free.""That criminal! We won't let this slide!" I said, filled with anger."Here, sweetheart, drink this tea. It'll make you feel better." Vince took the teacup and offered it to Ivy, but she was shaking badly and wouldn't let go of her torn dress, which would expose her chest if she released it. I went to her and held the dress so she could take the cup."Thank you! Both of you. The security guard told me
Samantha’s POV"I don't like this, Vince," I commented, looking around and seeing no sign of Ivy. "Why would Ivy leave the party? This feels really weird to me.""I don't get it either, Sam, but I don't want to alarm anyone. It shouldn't be this hard to find a woman wearing lime green," Vince remarked."Let's check around the area, maybe she just stepped out for some fresh air," I suggested, though I wasn't very convinced. Like Vince, I didn't want to cause unnecessary panic."I hope that's all it is," Vince seemed very worried and even distressed."What's wrong, Vince?" I asked, concerned about his behavior."I don't know, Sam..." He put his hand on the back of his neck. "Do you think she's running away from me?""And why would she run away from you?" I found that strange."Why wouldn't she? Maybe I scare women away. My ex-fiancée broke up with me a month before our wedding." Vince was afraid of being rejected again. That witch really did a number on his heart."Vincent, should I call
Samantha’s POVThe rest of the week flew by so quickly that I forgot to tell Henry that Nicole had been at the office. That day, Henry and I went shopping for Enzo's birthday present - his birthday party was on Saturday, and he'd been ecstatic all week, calling me multiple times to talk about the party preparations, which I found quite amusing.Saturday came quickly, and I was feeling pretty relaxed, especially since changing my phone number had stopped the calls, and I was sleeping much better after that."Nightingale, are you ready?" Henry walked into the closet and picked up one of his watches, putting it on his wrist."Almost, handsome," I replied while finishing my makeup."Enzo won't stop calling me. What an anxious kid!""He's excited about this party." I found it funny because Enzo had been talking about nothing else for days."He gets excited about any party," Henry laughed. "I'll wait for you in the living room."I finished my makeup, put on my dress, and looked in the mirror
Samantha’s POVAfter having coffee with Manu, I went back to work and ended up being surprised. I wasn't expecting the visit I received at the company late that day. I was finishing up a report when my phone rang on my desk - it was the receptionist informing me that someone in the building lobby was insisting on speaking with me.I found myself wondering what I had done to deserve so many pests in my life. It would be better to get rid of this one right away, before it turned into a weed that keeps sprouting in the yard no matter how many times you pull it out. I told the receptionist I'd go down to meet my visitor, but that she wasn't authorized to enter the building. And that was what I did.I arrived at the lobby and saw the woman sitting in one of the armchairs in a corner away from the reception desk. She was one of those women who you can tell from a mile away was nothing but an opportunistic gold digger. She was wearing a white dress made of thin fabric that was slightly see-th
Samantha’s POVI saw Henry get out of bed, pick up the phone from the floor, and try to speak, but the call had already ended. He came to me and hugged me."Sam, what did you hear?" Henry asked softly."H-he, he laughed." I was trembling and crying."Who, Sam? Do you know who it was?""It was R-Romulus." I looked at him feeling panic tightening my throat."Sam, what did he say?" I noticed the concern in Henry's voice."Nothing. It was like always, the breathing, but then he laughed and I know his laugh. It's Romulus, Henry.""Calm down. I'm going to turn off your phone. Tomorrow I'll tell Flavian about this. Sam, I think we should change your number.""Yeah, you're right, that's better." I agreed, as I didn't want to hear from Romulus anymore."Good, I'll take care of it first thing tomorrow. Now, I'm going to put you to bed and make you some tea."Henry tucked me into bed, covered me, and gave me a kiss on the forehead. When he returned to the bedroom, he brought a tray with tea and b
Samantha’s POV"My goddess, I'm so glad you're here! I've been missing you like crazy," Henry said between kisses."I missed you too!" I nestled into his lap."How was your girls' night?""It was fantastic! We're planning to spend a weekend at Hebe's beach house.""We're going... just you girls or...?""All of us, handsome. I'm not spending the whole weekend away from you.""Hmm, I like that! So, are we getting married this weekend?""It's in a month, Henry.""Alright. But until then, how about we practice for the honeymoon?" Henry traced his nose along my neck. "I'm desperately missing losing myself in you.""Are you reading my mind?" He smiled."Come here, future wife. I'm taking you to bed." He helped me up and looked at Cinnamon. "Buddy, you're staying downstairs tonight." The dog looked at him as if he understood and let out a whimper. The scene made me laugh."I need to take a shower," I said when we reached the bedroom."Ah yes, a shower is an excellent idea." Henry sat me on th
Samantha’s POVThe weekend at my grandmother's house was more than perfect. I wasn't expecting Henry to propose, and he made the most beautiful proposal in the world. I confessed I was never the type of woman who dreamed about marriage, wedding dresses, and all those things, but now that I'm engaged, I was excited and eager."Oh my God, I'm engaged!" I said to myself in the closet, looking at the ring and band on my hand."Yes, Nightingale, we're engaged, and I want to set a date for our wedding." Henry hugged me from behind, making me lean back against his chest as he kissed the top of my head.I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed him coming in. He was ready for work, looking handsome in that charcoal suit that made his emerald green eyes stand out even more. I was so distracted that I was still in my robe."My handsome, how about a month from now?""Too far away," he complained, kissing my neck."I don't want to rush into things like what happened with Catherine. A