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165 — 24 YEARS AGO.
— MICHAEL O’NEIL (POV)
[…] 24 years ago.ㅤ“Look at this little beauty!” Jack says with a smile that almost reaches his ears. He pats the hood of the car, his newest toy, as he would say. The yellow of the sunset paints the sky and reflects in the red of the bodywork. “This baby is fast! Faster than anything I’ve ever seen!”
I cross my arms, looking at the new car. It’s long, beautiful, sporty, and visibly fast. With a single glance, even a layperson can see that this thing is fast.“Faster than Mike’s car?” Julian asks with a mischievous grin. His loud voice shows that he’s up to something. “I thought Mike’s car was the fastest.”“It is,” I say with a playful tone, winking at the nine-year-old who raises his eyebrows.“I’m telling you, my baby can easily beat Mike’s speed. I mean,Related chapters
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 166 — JULIAN ADAMS (POV)
I can’t open my eyes. Every little movement seems to drain all my strength. I want to cry. I’m so desperate, so scared, but I can’t open my eyes.What’s happening?The smell of gasoline is so strong that I’m having trouble breathing. Everything is dark because I can’t open my heavy eyelids. But I can hear it... not very clearly, but it sounds familiar. I know that voice...“Of course, I’m going to get him out of here! Both of you!” Mike says urgently, and I try very hard to react, but... I feel helpless. “But Jack, you, the tree...”“You need to get him out of here NOW.” Wait, brother? His voice sounds so desperate... “Don’t you smell that? The gasoline is leaking, Michael! There’s so much gas escaping from this shit! At any moment, it could explode!”Explode? Gasoline?The words fall slowly into place, and I finally remember how much fun we were
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 167 — Reaching a closure...
The week has barely begun, and I already feel trapped in this frenetic rhythm. Exhaustion is starting to take hold of me, and I can’t wait to get it done. But Julian’s words keep echoing in my mind, making my thoughts wander. He wishes for me to meet his family after the end of the project, and that will take care of the details, but there are still two weeks until the deadline.I let out a long sigh, my shoulders tense and tired. Around me, the sound of my coworkers breathing, the click of the mouse, and their nimble fingers on their keyboards bring me back to reality, especially when a cup is suddenly placed on my table. I look up to find Ethan giving me a warm smile before turning away and walking back to his desk, also holding a coffee.Memories of the first project we worked on as a team flooded my mind. Back then, we were nine people working together to make a success of the biggest project this company. But now, there are only four of us left. Naomi, Deborah, Grace, and Laura a
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 168 — “Should we get married already?”
The doctor’s words make me hold my breath. If I want to find out the gender of our baby? Just the possibility makes my heart race with excitement and joy. I waited for it so badly, and now it’s about to happen.I lie on the stretcher, my trembling fingers gripping the sides of the sheet. Julian sits in a chair next to me, close by. Our eyes meet, and I reach for his hand, for his touch that comforts me.A young nurse approaches with a serene countenance. She asks to be excused while her delicate, gentle hands lift my blouse until my belly is completely exposed. Julian’s hand squeezes mine a little tighter, and he seems just as nervous as I am — if not more so.Dr. Kraig sits down in front of the small screen that shows nothing noticeable and also asks for consent to touch me. He explains, “It’ll be a bit cold, but it’s so we can see the baby,” and spreads gel over my stomach. I feel a shiver run through my body, an
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 169 — We don’t control life.
Julian’s words make my heart skip a beat. But even in the face of my surprise, he continues to look at me with no sign of regret, no laughter, no hesitation... He really means it.Yet I can’t smile.Long seconds pass in my silence, and his expression gradually becomes worried. He watches my face intently, paying special attention to my brown eyes that say everything my lips cannot.I don’t say a word for a while, and neither does Julian. The silence isn’t as comfortable as I’d like, but I can’t cut it. I swallow hard, my lips trembling, overwhelmed by too many intense sensations that ache my eyes.I’ve always heard that emotions are on edge when you’re pregnant, but I never thought it was so true.Julian sits down next to me on the couch, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I lean my head against the curve of his neck, snuggling into the warmth of his body, wrapping myself in his strong arms.
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 170 — “Thank you, my little angel.”
“Used to be?” I look at Julian softly, afraid to touch on such a delicate subject, squeezing his hand reassuringly.Julian sighs, looking to the other corner of the room.“Jack’s death broke us. My mother especially. The thing about depression is that it always seems to sneak up like a shadow. It’s there, even when you think you’re over it, even when you’re fine and can’t feel it... It only takes one slip for it to come up again.” Julian says with painful familiarity, almost like he had suffered it himself. For some reason, I feel that he’s talking about himself more than about someone else.But he brushes it off with a smile, inflating his lungs to the max.“She’s feeling better now... Mother may no longer be the smiling, full-of-life woman she was before, but she’s still here.”I stay silent for a few moments, absorbing his words, understanding them better than an
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 171 — Presentation time…
I fix the skirt of my suit for the third time, brush away the dust that doesn’t even exist on my blazer, and walk in circles around the room that has been mine for the last few weeks, where our entire project was born and developed until we reached this point.The idea that existed only in my head has now become a collective dream. All the sweat and effort of my team is on these pages, on this USB drive.I look at the clock, noticing that the time for the project presentation is approaching. I’ve heard that the manager’s project is realistic and not very creative, but it is an effective method for restoring a company’s reputation. Sarah’s project is more innovative, with a different approach to the conventional. Of course, these are just comments; the details of each project have been kept secret. Even the presentation will be done individually.My eyes are drawn to the clock again.12:29 a.m.I only have one long minu
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 172 — Project Enkrateia
All the board’s attention is on me. I can see a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and fascination in the board’s eyes as they follow the slides, in the expressions that take different forms as I present my project, which, honestly, I don’t know how to define.Innovative?Utopic?Crazy?“Who is affected by this leak? What’s the data?” I pause dramatically, adding to the tension. “These people have faces, names, and this data is like a key to their lives, their intimacy, their security. And they don’t even know how much it impacts their lives. We must change that... By making everything public and allowing them to search personally.”“Make it public?” Director Bald scoffs. “Are you trying to finish Dynamic’s reputation? We’re only considering saving it because this data hasn’t been made public. If they know the extent...”“That’s precisely
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 173 — “You ruined his life.”
It takes me a while to understand what Mrs. Smith is saying. Eric’s arrested... is that true? I knew that some of the people investigated in the scandal were being charged, but I didn’t expect Eric to be so involved in it. It shocks me to the point where the words completely disappear from the tip of my tongue.Suddenly, memories that were buried in the back of my mind come back like a hurricane, making my eyes widen. […] “Angelee, darling, I’ve baked some cookies... let’s have tea together!” Mrs. Smith said, smiling. “I bought you a present, what do you think?” Smiles and more smiles. “Let’s go on a family trip! You’ve been out of America before, haven’t you? Let’s choose somewhere you haven’t been yet, all of us together.” She always smiled, her voice as soft as the sweetest of illusions. “Angelee, I adore you as if you were my own daughter-”These memories
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Fallen for Daddy's Friend HAPPY EVER AFTER.
Fallen for Daddy's Friend MICHAEL — Always by your side.
Fallen for Daddy's Friend CATHY — I’m falling...
Fallen for Daddy's Friend HONEYMOON — PART III
Fallen for Daddy's Friend HONEYMOON — PART II
Fallen for Daddy's Friend HONEYMOON — PART I
Fallen for Daddy's Friend AFTER STORY — PART II
Fallen for Daddy's Friend AFTER STORY — PART I
Fallen for Daddy's Friend 184 — The end.
