When they reached their bedroom, he grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her out behind him. And the moment the bedroom door shut behind them, he pushed her back against it. Her clutch bag hit the floor. His mouth covered hers, missing her taste. They were gentle at first, slowly stripping each other out of their clothes as they got to know each other's bodies again. It wasn't as if it had been ages since they had one another, but it had been long enough. Two weeks were long enough for him. Damn, he'd missed his sunshine. "God, it's been a long time..." he rasped. " As she pressed her body into his. He deepened the kiss, tasting her lips, then parting them with his own. His tongue drove between her lips. She moaned as their tongues mingled, then lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. He moved one hand between her legs, and his touch immobilized her as he slid his fingers back and forth along the smooth seam of her center and circled them gently over her clit. S
RAFAELLA was checking the screen to see if her flight to New York was ready when she noticed a bearded man following her. She was used to it though her time as a CIA agent ended two weeks ago. She used to be with anyone for a long time, so she can't help but worry about being alone. She was with a co-worker named Gwen, but after quitting the operatives, she was left to manage everything alone. It was also her first attempt to travel back home to be with her mother for three days, so she had to return to the place of her birth and upbringing to carry out her plan. And eventually, she also wanted to move her family to a safer location. Rafaella quickly bent down towards where the woman's toilet was when the man removed his eyes from her. She promptly pulled out her phone when she entered the women's bathroom but realized she couldn't call any of her old co-workers. She had no right to ask for their assistance because she had already cut her ties when she resigned. As soon as she got i
She got the impression that she would not be able to communicate with him effectively with that icy eyes. The pleasant expression on his face suddenly disappeared upon seeing her, which was a terrible indication. But she walked towards the man with her heart pounding and felt the hairs on her arms go up, but a woman stopped her. "Have you received an invitation yet?" Rafaella just stopped after that. She realized that those who attended that party had received invitations. How private! She looked at the woman, and with a friendly voice, she replied, "No, but it won't be long. I need to speak with... Mr. Latimer." She looked back to where she last saw him. He was heading towards them in the middle of the affluent crowd of people in the gathering area of the exhibition hall. The woman continued, her silver eyes examining her, "Let me try to assist you. I'm Sandy, his fiancée. You can tell me what you need from him." The woman did not recognize Rafaella, which surprised her. Maybe
"You believed what I claimed?" "Shouldn't I be when you trotted here after several years of silence?" She was speechless, with her eyes wide, staring at him. "And I want to remind you that our marriage is legally binding and consummated by your choice, even though it was done by proxy." She rolled her eyes and glanced down the road to cover up the heat in her cheeks. When she managed to respond, she merely muttered, "It... that wasn't tallied. Before everything happened, we had already signed the documents, and it wasn't your fault. As you’ve said, it was my choice." "And I could have refused," he retorted. She burned in his eyes. "Can we not discuss it?" She avoided looking at him to cover up her humiliation. She didn't want to talk to him about what she had done in the past. Everything that had occurred was her idea. She struggled to despise him because of it, but she never regretted what she did since the outcome of her action made her life worthwhile to move on. "Certainly.
He made her voice happy, "No, Mom. It's just that returning here brought back those restless nights." "Ignore what occurred here. There is no other way to proceed. Rafa, may God prosper your endeavor." "Mommy, thank you." She darted subtly at her back when she felt a soft movement and found Alexus standing with his eyes on them. She cleared her throat, "I appreciate you giving me this chance, Alexus." Rafaella looked at the man after her mother said something. She was worried Alexus had overheard what she had said—observing the shape of his grin subtly as he approached her mother. Did he hear what I said? She pondered. "Thank you for having the time with my mom," she said firmly as Alexus walked to the front door together. "I'm sorry to say this, but I can't ignore what you’ve said after seeing my mother. I agree that she’s okay to be here for now. Don’t worry; I will continue to send Mrs. Woods what I can spare." "And you think your mom's simply thinking about money?" He said in
"I used to enjoy your ex-wife," Marla explained with a twitch at the corner of her mouth. "But abandoning you for another man like that is beyond my understanding." "Marla, my wife. Who gave you the impression that she left me for another man, by the way? As I believed during our divorce proceeding, I learned that all of her outward infidelity was a deception. Back then, she never cheated on me, which I blindly believe." "God, oh God!" Marla exclaimed in shock. "What a big lie! Is that what she claimed to be when the video clearly showed that she was-" "Cut that crap, Marla. I don't want to hear any of that nonsense. Save her from your bias. You are unaware of the specifics." "Now what? Are you siding with her because you were in bed with her for less than an hour?" His face was etched with anger at what his sister had said. "Marla, watch what you say. Because the divorce was not public, so Rafa is still my wife. And let me add that I shouldn't have trusted that video. I slept wit
Christ! Quietly, Alexus whispered. For some reason that he couldn't understand, he sensed that Rafaella was lying when she claimed to be his sweetheart. What other lies remained? To make his point, the attorney raised a finger. "We need to show he wasn't the only one to have a sexual encounter with her." "Are you saying that the only way to get a divorce is to turn her into a whore?" Alexus gave David a stern look while seeming irate. "Yes, something like that to prevent her from receiving anything." He mumbled under his steely exterior, "David, I'm not buying that. I'm sorry, but I disagree with you regarding my wife's reputation. Her lack of promiscuity is too much. No way." Marla intervened, saying, "Alex, try to be objective. She is with someone else, as you just stated. Then perhaps she wants you to end things soon so she can wed." "Whatever. I want it done well without putting her down, "Alexus answered. "Perhaps I can get her to agree to anything before I go and file it in
She turned to face the man in the elevator. He looked back at her, and an idea crossed her mind. When she told Oscar he was her lover, she overheard him chuckling. He confronted Oscar, whose ears grew pink, and then strolled away to demonstrate his point by coming to her side and bringing her closer to him. When she overheard him speaking to someone on his mobile phone, she realized he was gay. He grinned broadly as he extended his hand to her. Rafaella hoped that her steadfast relationship would enable her to escape the terrible circumstances she had found herself in. She had no idea why she had a stalker all of a sudden. As he held the elevator door, Luigi reassured her, "Complete discretion." Starting with that hallway encounter, she and Luigi became best buddies. After she unexpectedly called him for security protection, he became her excellent buddy and was ready to assist her and treat her like a VIP at his friend's business. As she and Luigi started to stroll down the thickl
When they reached their bedroom, he grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her out behind him. And the moment the bedroom door shut behind them, he pushed her back against it. Her clutch bag hit the floor. His mouth covered hers, missing her taste. They were gentle at first, slowly stripping each other out of their clothes as they got to know each other's bodies again. It wasn't as if it had been ages since they had one another, but it had been long enough. Two weeks were long enough for him. Damn, he'd missed his sunshine. "God, it's been a long time..." he rasped. " As she pressed her body into his. He deepened the kiss, tasting her lips, then parting them with his own. His tongue drove between her lips. She moaned as their tongues mingled, then lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. He moved one hand between her legs, and his touch immobilized her as he slid his fingers back and forth along the smooth seam of her center and circled them gently over her clit. S
Alexus couldn't sleep that night when Rafaella confessed her intention to join the syndicate as a victim. And he worked with Gerald to ensure his wife's safety. Gerald agreed since his team would also be there to get the syndicate's mastermind. While contemplating the critical mission Rafaella wished to do as an auction bride victim. Alexus could not help but sigh frequently. He found it hard to imagine his wife performing such an undercover role. It worsens the pain in his stomach more than the medication she gave him. But there he was, in front of her, smelling of flowers and wanting to reach out and touch her tender flesh. With their twins playing in the kitchen and the three agents keeping an eye on them, he was close enough to kiss her but didn't dare. Not until they had a chance to converse. She pulled a few soft drinks out of the fridge and handed one to him before following him into the living room she'd decorated with a few colorful accents from Milan before she had a
Rafaella was ecstatic as she watched her mother with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as she hugged her only sibling, Cindy. Despite having concerns about what would come next in their lives now that the authorities had apprehended Colleen, Jasper, and their gang, she felt blessed despite these misgivings. It was a joyful moment since Rafaella's only sister had returned. She felt so much happiness in those moments. And even her mother could not hide the happiness and security of her will to see her two daughters together again. She quietly studied the profile of Cindy sharing her mother's happiness and tears while Gerald extended his hand to hold her mother's hand and kissed it. What a sweet man, she thought with a smile, but it vanished from her lips as she met her husband's facade, somewhat scowling. She strolled to join him, seated in one of the chairs with Ruslan and Leo nearby. "What is ailing you?" She asked in a whisper. "Nothing," his evasive reply and avoidi
Three days have passed since Rafaella was saved from the hands of Colleen, who kidnapped her as a ransom for Alexus to sign their divorce papers, but Alexus disagreed. Instead, he saved Rafaella from the hands of Jasper, who wanted to take advantage of her physically. They found out that Colleen was still in the clinic because she was high on substances when she was arrested, along with Jasper and some staff who hid in an abandoned farm that used to belong to one of her friends. And according to the investigation at the said location, the FBI group led by Gerald obtained two boxes of substance and some informative documents they did not divulge publicly. Alexus's stomach ache had also healed due to taking diet pills which Rafaella used as an accessory not to have intimacy with his ex-girlfriend, which he claimed was adequate but not good for his health as he felt deteriorating and weakling. So, the incident became a joke among the group. Rafaella felt even happier because t
Rafaella leaned her head against his shoulder and asked, "Can we just go to the woods?" He echoed in her ear, "I told you we couldn't. The woods are the worst area to flee to because doing so would be a suicide mission, and I also want her off my back. And that is to see her off to prison." Rafaella frowned at his remark, but she didn't need convincing—literally or figuratively—because she sensed she was about to enter a minefield. The area was eerie. She wanted to get back to her children to ensure no one was there to snap them away. That's why she was impatient in being in this place when she wanted to be home. She was never like this with her covert mission, but she had no idea this was how people with kidnapped family members felt in restless turmoil. Suppose there was compensation for being in this abandoned area, that was to be with Alexus. Having him beside her could make her forget her restlessness for at least a while. "Do you have a plan while we're hiding here?"
With a look of fear and determination, Rafaella struggled to untie her hands. Despite her fear, she hurriedly untied the duct tape holding both hands together when Colleen screamed and threatened her husband. She's just an unbelievable freak," she shook her head and thought. How could she get Alexus's feelings if she kept threatening him? She knew it would not work with Alexus. Was she that desperate to get his attention or something else? She figured out before that she might be desperate for lack of cash. And he thought Alexus was his only hope to help him. Rafaella got off the bed and sat on the floor. She looked around the room, wondering how she could get out of the room she was in. As fear registered in her brain, she tried to figure out how many of Colleen's men were so that she could estimate and know where they were located in that farmhouse. She remembered earlier that he didn't see anyone standing outside the house when they arrived, so she guessed that Colleen's men w
Rafaella awoke to heart-pounding panic. She finally managed to blink her eyes open as her senses slowly woke up. She realized she was in the back seat of the SUV. Suddenly, her forehead collided with the back of the driver's seat."Damn, that was close. Stupid animal crossing the road" said the man's stern voice in front of the steering wheel.She twisted wildly on her right side when she became aware of heavy breathing and found herself beside a man bent over as if he was sleeping inside the SUV.Instinctively, she grabbed for the door handle."Nice, try, but you shouldn't," snarled the voice beside her and grabbed her hair.She swallowed hard as she looked at him. Even in the dark of the backseat, she couldn't even see his eyes ultimately, but she knew. She'd seen the murder in his eyes earlier. When the time came for her to die, she knew he would kill her himself and relish the process. He would have killed her by now if it had been up to him. It wasn't up to him, though.Rafaella
Oh, I can't breathe. That thought quickly crossed her mind when Rafaella woke up. Her eyes widened as she struggled to get enough air into her lungs. Something covered her mouth and nose. And her heart beat faster as she glanced around the unfamiliar small room with a foul smell. She could hardly move as her hands were tied up behind her. She closed her eyes again and thought about what had happened last and how she ended up in a dark, unfamiliar place. The last thing she remembers was someone hitting her on the head when she came out of the comfort room of the cottage that belonged to Gwen. She rested her head against the bed's headboard and closed her eyes again as many images played through her mind. She remembered Alexus and their children. Oh, what's going on? Her thoughts were jumbled. I shouldn't freak out. She told herself that she needed to think clearly. as she leaned back, starting to remember what had happened. She remembered having amnesia, but now she could re
Rafaella stared at the laptop on her desk for the hundredth time facing the window. She had been checking Colleen's latest media update but found nothing, and she considered the fugitive woman not using her real identity. But she found out that someone was also digging into her records since many articles popped up that were not there two months ago. The publications claimed that Colleen had been institutionalized at a for-profit facility. Later reports mentioned her disappearance from the public eye. She wanted a calm life without being involved in the commercial matters of her family. What the hell kind of person lives like that? Rafaella asked. She looked at the Grant Pharmaceutical company's finances while still in shock. It combined with another profitable medical business while experiencing a decline in profits. Rafaella shook her head as she processed the new information. Given the business's financial stability, making money would have been tough when she last remembered