Emma's POV Ryan was sprawled across the bed, his body tangled with another woman’s. His hands, the same hands that had once caressed me with tenderness, now gripped her with a lust I had never seen before. The woman—his secretary—let out a soft cry, but it was Ryan’s voice that hit me like a punch to the gut. The voice was hoarse and filled with lust. My heart ached. I felt as if my heart was being torn open!"Ryan...we shouldn’t...this isn't right... It’s not fair... It’s not fair for your wife...” the woman said. “She’s just a boring white swan,” he murmured, his voice filled with disdain. “How can she compete with a little devil like you? If it weren’t for her being the eldest daughter of the Wales family, and if I hadn’t needed to take revenge on her father, I never would’ve married her. Come, baby. Let's have another round...”His words were like shards of glass slicing through my heart. Revenge? It had all been for revenge? But why? Revenge of what? The weight of his betra
Emma's POV His shoulders slumped as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, clearly grasping at anything that might offer him a reprieve. “I was… I was trying to escape from everything. The stress, the pressure, the health issues of my grandpa as well as you recently... I know it’s no excuse, but I made a terrible mistake. Please, Emma, just hear me out.”My heart felt as though it had been ripped from my chest. The tears I’d been holding back finally broke free, spilling down my cheeks as I shook my head in disbelief. “You had every chance to make things right, Ryan,” I said, my voice cracking. “You had every opportunity, to be honest with me, to be there for me. But instead, you chose this. You chose to betray me.”He reached out towards me, but I stepped back, the hurt too overwhelming to be ignored. “Emma, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve been struggling, and I let my frustrations get the better of me. It was a horrible mistake.”“I don’t know if I can ever f
Emma's POV But as much as I wanted to scream, to lash out, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. Instead, I turned and fled the apartment, my legs carrying me faster than I thought possible. My heart raced, my mind spinning with the horror of it all. How did it come to this? How had I been so blind?As I left the building, the cool night air hit my face, but it did nothing to numb the pain. My mind raced, replaying every moment, every word he had said. He wanted revenge. He wanted to destroy my father’s legacy, and now, it all made sense. He wanted to destroy everyone with my dad's blood flowing in their body... So even my child and I were a part of him... My child will also be a part of my dad's family. He had wanted me to abort the baby. My child—his child—was part of the family he despised.Is that why Ryan wanted me to abort...? It hit me like a ton of bricks. He had never wanted this child because it carried the blood of my father, the man he ha
Emma's POV If Ryan did not leave me alone and I had to be with him, then he would know about James soon. He would go mad that I didn't tell him about giving birth to our baby. But if I tell him before he finds out on his own? Maybe I can take control of the situation? Perhaps, by telling him myself, I could protect my son. Perhaps, I could stop Ryan from using James in his twisted vendetta.Or perhaps, I was just fooling myself.Oh, God!! I was losing my mind. Shit!! I was scared for my son's safety all over again. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I have been through too much to break now. I had survived Ryan’s betrayal, his lies, and his manipulation. I would survive this too.I would protect my son—no matter what.Morning came too quickly, and with it, the inevitable task of facing Ryan once again. I wasn’t ready to broach the subject of James just yet. There was an important meeting before lunch, and I knew I had to be composed. But first, I needed to addres
Emma's POV Just then Ryan walked into my cabin. " Good morning! Why did you come so early? You didn't even wait for me? We could have come after having breakfast together. I would have ordered pancakes... Just the way you like them. " He said. " Thanks, Ryan. But I was not hungry. And not in a mood to share anything with you. So don't pretend that everything is just perfect. " " Well, then I think we should talk and solve all issues. You had a splitting headache last night; I hope you are fine and we can talk about it now. " " We will, after the meeting... Not here, you have already given a lot of topics to the staff." " I don't care what they know or talk about; now, at least none of you will flirt with you or gossip about us being together. You are my wife and I want everyone to know about it. " "But unlike you, I don't like to wash my dirty linen in public. Let's go to the meeting. " ********The boardroom felt stifling. The air was so thick with tension as we sat around t
Emma's POV I couldn’t think straight. The voice on the other end continued, but it was drowned out by the rising tide of my fear. I could barely breathe. I needed to get to him. Now.“I’m on my way,” I stammered before I hung up the phone, my hands shaking as I stood abruptly, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. Every eye in the room turned toward me, including Ryan’s, his brow furrowed in confusion, but all I could think about was James. My son was hurt, and I wasn’t there. I needed to leave—now. “I—I need to leave,” I stammered, my voice thick with panic.Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “Emma, we’re in the middle of a meeting,” he said, his tone sharp but controlled, as though he were trying to keep his growing annoyance in check.“I don’t care,” I snapped, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I need to leave now. It’s... personal.” my panic overpowering my usual restraint.Ryan stood abruptly, his chair scraping the floor as he rose to his feet. His expression darkened
Emma's POV By the time I finally pulled into the school’s parking lot, the sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the grounds. I parked haphazardly and rushed out of the car, my heart hammering as I approached the main building.Inside, the receptionist greeted me with a knowing look, her expression soft with sympathy. “Ms Wales, the headmaster is waiting for you in his office.”I nodded, my throat too tight to respond, and hurried down the corridor toward the headmaster’s office. The familiar hallway seemed to stretch on forever, my legs feeling weak beneath me as I forced myself forward.When I reached the headmaster’s office, I paused, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart. James was sitting there, outside the office, his small frame hunched over in one of the chairs. His face was pale, his face had a faint bruise, and his clothes were rumpled, with a few scratches on his arms that were already treated. My heart dropped as I noticed the faint bruisin
Emma's POV Taking a deep breath, I stepped in and explained everything to him, he understood and told me to be rest assured as he would punish the children for teasing and provoking James to this situation. I thanked him As I stepped outside the headmaster’s office, after thanking him, I could feel the weight of what I was about to face pressing down on me. The walls of the school felt closer, the corridor longer, and each step toward the door was heavier than the last. I wasn’t just walking toward Ryan. I was walking toward a reckoning I’d been running from for six years. My mind raced with possible explanations and excuses I could give him if he confronted me, but none of them felt right. None of them could explain away the truth that was about to crash down on both of us.With a final exhale, I stepped out into the courtyard. The air was cool, a slight breeze rustling the leaves of the old oak trees that lined the school grounds. I could see him more clearly now, leaning casuall