CELINE’s POV-Less five minutes after Lance finished eating all his food, that’s why everyone, including me, went home early.Now, I am driving to my apartment and the twins were waiting for me so we could eat together.When I glance to the rear-view mirror, I noticed the familiar car behind me. I stopped my car on the side of the road and he did the same. When I got out of the car, the driver of the car who was following me, and it was Lance.As Lance came down, he smiled at me together with he ignored the annoyed look I gave him.I marched towards him. “What’s your problem? Why are you following me?”“I want to make sure you get home safely where you live.”“Throughout a span of six years without you, I have been safe driving on my way.”“And also so I will know where you live, hence I can visit you–”“Don’t you dare.” I blurted emphatically. “I don’t allow you to come to my apartment, and if you intend to search where I live, I will never forgive you.”“Why don’t you want me to v
CELINE’s POV-When I was outside the apartment, I looked at myself in the mirror again to check if my eyes were no longer puffy because of what happened a while ago.In six years, I have only now come out with the genuine mixed with pain and anger that I felt towards Lance, so maybe I couldn’t stop myself from crying.I somehow covered my puffy eyes by patting a little powder on my face. I don’t want my twin to see me like this.When I got myself ready, I got out of the car and went straight to the apartment.As I opened the door, my twin greeted me.“Mummy!” the twins called me as they hurried over to me.I sat down to welcome their hug. I kissed their temples once they approached me.“Don’t run like that again. It’s dangerous to run like that.” I remind them.“Yes, mummy!” Skye answered happily.“We’re just excited to hug you, mummy!” Sunny also answered happily.I looked up at Tristan, who took my bag and the jacket that I put on the floor. “I’ll just put it on the sofa.”“Thank y
CELINE’s POV-“Why did you suddenly think of going to the Stellar restaurant, sweetheart?” I asked.I saw in my peripheral vision Tristan was also waiting for Skye’s answer.“Me too, mummy. I want to go to the Stellar restaurant again!”“W-Why… why do you want to go to Stellar?” I tried not to stammer out of shock.Not that I don’t want to go them to Stellar... just not now. As far as I remember, they had only been to Stellar restaurant three times and in those three times they were inside Tristan’s office.“Because I love daddy Tristan.” Skye replied.“Me too! I love daddy Tristan!” Sunny shouts happily.“What do you mean by that, sweetheart?” I question Skye again. I looked at Tristan and he shrugged his shoulders, even though he didn’t know what Skye meant.“Daddy Tristan said he named us.”I nod. “It’s true.”Overwhelmed by weakness, I succumbed to an extended period of sleep after giving birth to my twins. I had to take bed rest for six weeks. So during the twins’ first months
CELINE’s POV-My picture on Tristan’s lock screen is me looking at the camera, but as far as I can remember, no one took a picture of me like this when I was in school. I barely talk to others. I didn’t even have social media accounts because my parents forbade me to create any kind of account.Tristan glanced at me, then he took his phone and looked at my picture displayed on it.“About this?” When Tristan looked back at me, he paused for a while. “You look like you didn’t remember?” Tristan asked, laughing.“Which one? Which one did I not remember?” I asked in surprise. “You’re not a stalker, are you?”“What?” Tristan laughed out loud. “When I saw you again six years ago, I thought it was destiny that we would meet, yet you think I’m a stalker?”“I don’t understand, Tristan.” I was still confused as I asked him.Some of my memories then I forgot something, because nothing stuck in my mind was how I suffered from my family since I was a child and I only remembered a few things and t
CELINE’s POV-I was dumbfounded by what I heard and speechless with astonishment at what I found out behind Tristan’s lock screen. It was so meaningful that even I couldn’t believe it.Tristan drank his ice chocolate drink before speaking again with a dazzling smile. “It’s okay that you still don’t remember what I said, but maybe you won’t think that I’m a stalker?” he playfully said.I shook my head. “No... But I am lost for words. Because I’m not… I can’t believe it.”Tristan moved closer to me. “Can I hug you?”I nodded absentmindedly. “Yes.”As Tristan gently hugged me, my chest tightened. I felt the edge of my tears. Suddenly, the fear and pain I felt at the hands of my parents returned. I was scared, I was helpless.....**(FLASHBACK: Third year middle school)**-Just like the previous years, no one planned to make friends with me this school year. Because besides the fact that I still don’t know how to talk to other people, my fellow students are already avoiding me because
CELINE’s POV - Tristan broke away from the hug and gazed at me. He cupped my face and wiped my tears with his thumb. “If you’re not ready for me to even hug you, that’s fine with me, Celine. Just because I told you I have been waiting for you to love me for a long time does not mean you obligate you to love me right away. I’d rather wait over ten years than force you to love me.” Tristan took a step away from me, then let out a sigh. “I thought I couldn’t talk about it. I have no intention of telling you about this matter yet.” “Why?” I question curiously. “You might think that I’m pressuring you to love me back. Because of this picture,” he said, laughing. If I hadn’t asked about that picture, maybe I wouldn’t remember what happened then. The thing I don’t even remember is that I once had a crush on Tristan. What a playful chance. My intense fear crippled me, preventing me from fulfilling my wish of being with my crush, Tristan, even for a moment at the prom. “Tristan, why d
CELINE’s POV-My mind woke up following I heard my twin giggling. Other than that, I feel the pillow I often hug is becoming hard. I squeezed my pillow.“I have a tickle there, Celine.” I heard Tristan giggle.Immediately I opened my eyes and the smiles of my twins and Tristan’s face opened up to my sight.“Good morning, mummy!” The three speak, but the voices of my twins are loud.I hugged Tristan while one of my feet rested on his thigh.Tristan and I talked a lot last night, and I just fell asleep here.He opens up to me with something about his family, just like his brother, who is looking for his first love, the reason he doesn’t want to get married either. His father has been cheating on his wife several times and he never does not want to imitate his father in such a thing and one of reasons Tristan doesn’t want to come back to his family. For the length of our conversation last night, I got sleepy, but I was holding back my sleep because I was also curious about Tristan’s fa
CELINE’s POV-I accepted what Tristan offered me. Except this is a good chance that I can avoid Lance if I am in the kitchen. My twins are enrolled in a kindergarten closer to the Heavenly hotel. The travel time will only be ten minutes, unlike here where the travel will take almost an hour to get there.I signed the contract, the one Tristan gave me. Afterwards he asked me who I wanted to be there with so I said it was Bianca and the rest that I would be with was Tristan, who asked our staff.Due to the impending reduction in staff, Tristan is busy dealing with the applicants who have applied here. He wants to screen the applicants himself like before, but the problem is that there are too many applicants.It’s fine with Tristan that the applicant has no experience, however most of the girls who applied flirted with him. There’s even a woman who asked Tristan to marry him during the interview.“There are still a lot of applicants.” Bianca said, laughing after taking the resumes of
CELINE SALVATORE POV-I put back my gaze at the secretary. “Thank you.”I stood up and left in front of the secretary.I took a breath and it seemed heavy to know about that thing. It was clearly a work discussion, but the thought lingered–I quickly dismissed it from my mind.I shouldn’t waste time thinking about other things. Lance loves me, he loves our children, we love him–it is the important thing and above all I trust him.I was about to get in the car but I saw the man get out of the car and come towards me.“Can we talk?” Lucian asked as he approached me.I sight at the time on the watch I was wearing. “Sure.”——————————Lucian take me in a private restaurant, where he rented the entire restaurant for the entire time.I invited him to a coffee shop, but he refused. He said what he had to say was a private matter.When we arrived at the restaurant and sat down, the waitress served us food, after that, Lucian told them to leave us.“I’m sorry, Lucian. I didn’t plan on staying lo
CELINE SALVATORE POV-“What do you want for dinner?” I asked Lance after I cleared away the container. “I’ll cook dinner.”“About that.” He held my hand, his other hand caressing my knuckles. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be home. I still have a lot of work to finish, so I can finish everything by tomorrow.”He sounded sorry, as if the sin he had committed was too big.“It’s okay, don’t worry.” I said with a smile to ease his burden. “Just, please, take care of your health.” I said, almost begging. “On our wedding day, I don’t want our friends to drag you down the altar so our wedding can go ahead.” I joked.“I won't.” He said, laughing, then hugged me tightly, just enough so that my body wouldn’t be trapped in his arms. “Thank you for giving me strength. I don’t even need to drink energy drinks anymore.”I hugged him back.For a moment, the surroundings became silent as we still hugged each other.“Celine.”“Hmm?”“Can we have one round?”I pulled away from the hug. When I looked at h
FREYA POV-After I finished fixing myself, I put the final touch on my makeup, my red lipstick as red as blood. I checked my phone first. I tightened my grip on it seeing that until now, after two days, Lance announced his engagement to the whole world. They all kept talking about all this. Our wedding back then, it maybe, was grand because I pressured him into every detail but to announce to the whole world he didn’t do it. He hasn’t said who he’s going to marry yet but I’m sure it’s his pathetic ex-wife he’s going to marry.I called that stupid thing, but he still didn’t answer my call. In my annoyance, I threw my phone somewhere in my hotel room. That stupid. I cooperated with him back then because he promised he could find a way to keep Celine and Lance away. I even sacrificed my smooth face and skin. The beating me back then in the old building was our plan. No one kidnapped me. It was all a plan to make Lance believe someone else hurt me. After beating me and got hurt, I shoul
CELINE SALVATORE POV-“As soon as possible?” I asked, with a hint of doubt.“Why don’t you seem sure?” There was concern in his voice. “Didn’t you change your mind?” There was fear in his voice.“Of course not. I just don’t know if your schedule can handle it if we get married so soon.” I spelled out.The worry on his face quickly disappeared after I explained it to him.“When would you like us to get married?”“Before our kids go back to school, so they won’t be confused about which surname to use and can use your surname.”“When is the new school year for our kids?”“Two months from now.”“Two months?!” I was the one who was worried by his question. “W-Why?”“I thought I would have to wait just less than a month to marry you.” I lost my concern. I thought he was the one who changed his mind now. I wish to give back my surname to you. If possible, we will get married next week.”“That’s a short amount of time for preparation.” I explain with a beaming face. “On a serious note, when
CELINE SALVATORE POV-It’s not like it used to be that my children wake me up every morning, now I wake them up.Skye and Sunny were still rubbing their eyes when I woke them up.“Good morning, sweethearts.” I greeted them and gave them a sweet kiss on the top of their heads.“Good morning, mummy.” They greeted me sleepily.My smile widened seeing their father was still sleeping soundly. I saw that his forehead was unfurrowed, he didn’t smile widely, but his face was peaceful. He looked like a puppy sleeping. He was so cute when he slept like that.For all the years, I think this was the only time I’d seen him sleep. In all these years, I finally saw Lance sleeping without anger on his face.“Daddy!” Skye and Sunny happily approached Lance at the same time.Sunny climbed onto Lance’s tummy while Skye was on the side of Lance’s face.“Daddy, wake up!” Sunny woke up. I came closer to them, theb supported Sunny’s body when it moved.“Daddy!” Skye and Sunny woke up at the same time to th
RAYNE ‘ASHLEY’ EVANS POV-Pure happiness washes over me for my friend. She deserves that kind of happiness. The proposal alone almost made me cry with joy for Celine. How much more so when they get married? I would like to witness their wedding. Just by their smiles, I can feel the overflowing joy.“Yes, I’ll be there tomorrow.” I replied to my soon to be manager. As I ended the call, I took a deep breath. I have to say goodbye to Celine that I will need to leave.I was about to head back to the garden, but close to where I was standing, I saw Hendrix approaching Sabrina.“What do you need again?” Sabrina asked irritably.“I’m just reminding you of my proposal.”Sabrina scoffed. “You’re crazy if you think I’ll accept your marriage proposal. If you have nothing to do in life, don’t bother me.”Marriage proposal? Something seemed to tug at my heart when I heard that.At the instant Sabrina left Hendrix’s presence, I approached him before he could walk behind Sabrina.“Why?” I asked tear
CELINE SALVATORE POV-Everyone came near the table where the birthday cake was while everyone sang happy birthday and Lance lit the seven birthday candles on each cake.After Lance lit all the birthday candles, we stopped singing ‘happy birthday’.“Make a wish first before we blow out your birthday candles.” Lance sweetly reminded our kids.Skye and Sunny closed their eyes together with a smile on their lips.Lance and I looked at each other and smiled at each other while waiting for our children to finish making their wishes.“Are you done making wishes?” Lance asked our children after they opened their eyes.Skye and Sunny giggled while nodding.“Let’s blow out your birthday candles. After counting to three, we will blow out your candles together.”Our children affirmed with a smile.Lance and I moved closer to our children and then our friends and family counted.“One! Two! Three!” As mentioned the three, we simultaneously blew out the birthday candles one after the other. When w
CELINE SALVATORE POV-I just want to cry in elated. In the past few hours, our children’s birthday celebration has gone smoothly.Benjamin had prepared a short program he hosted, while he had someone take pictures while he was busy. He prepared children’s games, which everyone took part in except Don Charles, Sir Frederick, Yuichi and Giovanni.Giovanni wanted to take part in the games, knowing him he would do anything for his nephews, but in his condition, he pretended to cry on the side when Skye and Sunny looked at him.For now, we have given everyone time to rest after the games, and now I am sitting at the table with Christine and Astrid.“You should have told us what Lance did, so we burned him inside one of his hotels.” Astrid asseverate in a frustrated tone.Christine just mentioned that she had just found out from her husband about what Lance had done when I disappeared without saying goodbye six years ago. She mentioned that not because she wanted to bring up the pain I was
CELINE SALVATORE POV-“Mummy, I saw Skye and I’s cake.” Sunny said in amazement when she returned to our room after drinking water downstairs. “Our cake is so big, it’s bigger than daddy’s height.”It was our children’s day. We made their birthday an early dinner party because most of the attendees were close friends of Lance and I. My family with Ashley were coming from Italy who had just landed here thirty minutes ago and the Morgan family was coming from San Diego.“My cake is yellow and Skye’s is blue, just like daddy and Skye’s eyes.” Sunny continued with her story. “Is Uncle Lucian coming?”In six years, except Lucian was with us, he was never absent from Skye and Sunny’s birthday. So they got used to Lucian attending their birthday, especially Sunny.“Yes, sweetheart.” Lance answered. “Your Uncle Lucian is coming.”I told him yesterday that our children can look for Lucian on their birthdays, and he said he understands that. What’s important to him is that our children no longe