Hana moaned in her sleep. Something was touching her ass, but she was enjoying her dream so well she didn’t want to wake up. In her dream, she and her husband were reconciled and happy. They were fucking, and she didn’t want to wake up to their sad reality where she hadn’t forgiven him.
“Baby, wake up,” someone growled into her ear. Cold hit her, and she shivered. Tearing her eyes open, she frowned at her husband. He didn’t look fazed by her glare. “Good morning, princess. You sleep well?”
Hana looked down to see she was naked, and so was her husband. It all came rushing down at him, the sex in the car, the sex in the shower. She grinned at him, claiming his lips before he could say anything else. It must be the sex that was making her this emotional. She no longer wanted to hold grudges. They could sort everything out.
“Hey, baby,” she said when she finally broke free from him. Kyle tried to cove
Calvin was afraid to ruin the moment. But it would be worse if Angel found out herself. He had to tell her now or it might be too late. She wiggled and pulled away from him, so she could look at him from the other end of the couch. She folded her legs, taking the blanket with her. He didn’t mind. The cold was the least thing for him to worry about. It was the second week of September, and the weather was growing colder.“Don’t get mad at me, alright?” he said.“You’re freaking me out,” Angel replied.“Remember at KP when you overheard me and KJ talking?” he continued. She nodded, and he moved close. “When we were talking about my past? And then we saw Lance when we returned back to the building.”“Yes.”“I had a wild past. We already discussed this,” he said. She nodded. He knew he was stalling, but he wanted to soften the blo
Hana woke up in her husband’s arms. She knew when he broke down the pillow walls. She was acutely aware of his arms sneaking around her waist to pull her into a hug. What she didn’t understand was this need to be with him even after he hurt her. Trying to sleep on their matrimonial bed was tough. It felt like she had cut off a piece of herself, so she had come to find him at night.Today was Monday, and it signified many things. Her first day of work, that was if she still wanted to go ahead with it. She would, mostly because they had talked about it so often, and it was time to make a decision.Hana’s husband was still asleep when she peeled herself off him. He whined but didn’t wake up. She was almost at the door when she heard a voice. A very sleepy voice.“Princess?”Without opening the door, she turned to him, her hand still locked around the knob.“Yes?”“You’re le
Working with Kyle was simpler than Hana expected. A bit awkward since they had to share one desk, and she had to evade his gaze so many times. Asides the anxiety, it was fairly okay. He had introduced her to Ivana, his assistant. For now, they agreed not to let anyone know she was the author of A Dragon’s Kiss. But now, she knew who played a role in ADK success. Ivana had managed it until Lance picked it up.Though she was a tad disappointed it wasn’t all luck and her efforts, she still felt loved by her husband. Before he knew who she was, he believed in her. The reminder brought a smile to her lips. She could feel his gaze on her but managed to keep her head down. This was one thing they had spent most of the morning doing. He was busy on his laptop, answering emails. A few times she would raise her head to see he was already watching and smiling at her.Since she came, she hadn’t done much. So far, Ivana had reported about the status of the d
Calvin knew he did great with the surprise visit to the cafe shop. It had been harder than he expected to locate this place. The information he had to go on was the few details Angel had told him subconsciously. Something about a Leah who loved her and would always let her stay in her shop to write.The few times he asked about Leah, Angel would relate it to that night they met and freeze. He never pried too much, so she wouldn’t suspect. It wasn’t a bribe, but after the movie premiered, he had put more effort into finding it. Thankfully, he was able to.Angel snuggled closer to him. She still had the smile from when he gave her the sharpie so she could sign her book for Leah. The woman had looked too pleased, so pleased she had asked him to take a few pictures of her, Angel and Gerard with the couple holding the book. He would have brought two if he knew about Gerard early.It had been a while since his wife directed this pure smile to h
Hana was all smiles as they got home. Not only did she get to see people she thought she would never see again, she would also be attending her first Halloween party. A look at her husband with the many bags of purchase from the boutique toned down some of her excitement. He had refused her help and forbade her from helping him.They hadn’t discussed parties, but Camilla made Halloween sound so exciting. She wanted to experience it, if only once, and with the comfort of people she trusted and loved. They stopped at the door of their apartment, and she slipped her hand into her husband’s pocket to retrieve the key.“Baby,” she began. “We don’t really have to host a party, okay? I was just really excited. It’s not necessary. I can do without a party.”“Have you been to a Halloween party?” Kyle asked. Hana shook her head. “Then we have our answer. We are hosting one. We will make it small, if t
The call ended minutes ago, but Calvin could still hear the conversation in his head. He tried to replay everything Ivana told him in slow motion. She had come in to work today, as usual. It had taken a while for her to get to the entrance because she had rushed back to pay the cab fare. It was the smell that first alerted her to the growing fire, then the smoke. She had called him after calling the fire department.A tap on Calvin’s cheek made him shake his head slowly. He had woken up early to make breakfast for him and his wife before the call came in. Blinking fast helped to clear his vision. His wife was in front of him. He was in their room. When? How did he get here? He couldn’t remember moving.“Hey, it’s okay,” Angel whispered. Going on her knees, she placed her hands on his knees. “I brought you here, okay? You were blanking out, and I thought you wanted to sit.”“KP is on fire,” he told her.
Hana wanted to tell her husband. What if it was Baba not Charles? She looked at Kyle, who was still in bed. She wasn’t sure he was asleep. Sneaking out of the room, she went to the kitchen to make them breakfast. His family had stayed until later at night. There were other food options, but she gravitated to the noodles and pulled out a few packets.Eating it yesterday had helped his mood, or maybe it was his family’s presence. But they could not have his family here always. Right now, she was the only family with him, and she had to make him feel better about this.Done cooking, she made coffee for him and served herself orange juice for her food. A breath escaped her parted lips as she set the tray on the dining table. For now, there was no work. Investigations were ongoing, and no one was allowed into the building until further notice. She hadn’t checked KP’s rankings and that of the last movie. It was top ten for one weekend, and she w
Calvin only needed to hear the first few sentences from his wife before he knew what his answer was. A big, fat, capital no.“I’m not taking money from you,” he said as calmly as possible. He didn’t know how much she meant by six figures, but he knew he didn’t want to take a penny from her. She wasn’t planning to give him part of it, she wanted him to have all. There was no way he would agree. “Thanks, princess. I really appreciate it. But the answer is no.”“Why?”“You worked hard. You deserve it.”“Not really,” Angel replied, folding her arms on her chest. He blinked in shock. “You did all the promotions before you knew it was me. After you did, you still didn’t stop promoting. So, it’s not just my money. It’s our money. Yes, I did the work by writing. But you also helped me, Kyle.”His wife’s intentions
Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly her
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.Camilla May McKenna could do it. She could handle the simple task of taking pictures of a cheating lover and prove to her best friend that Vanya, her boyfriend, was a scum. KJ, her youngest brother, always told her evidence was key. He was the same one who told her men hated shopping and never went on that adventure without a woman unless sex was involved. So, the second Vanya walked into the boutique, she had rushed to the bathroom to call her best friend Faye. If Vanya was at the boutique, then he was with someone else. Faye was in class. All she had to do was get evidence, so Faye would leave the cheat.Retrieving a tube of pink lipstick from her purse, she reapplied it and fluffed her hair. From the mirror, her hair was flat on the sides from her consistent touching. Wasting no more time in the bathroom, she smacked her lips and walked out. Vanya hadn’t met her. He wouldn’t recognise her, so there was no need for her to use a disguise. Cold air r
Sweat rolled down Calvin’s forehead. He hid a frown as he dabbed on the evidence of his anxiety. This was a regular date with his wife. He shouldn’t be nervous, but unlike other dates, this one was special. Different. It was an anniversary date. Last month was the one-year anniversary of meeting Angel on that rainy night. His wife had suffered an abrupt illness, so he couldn’t take her out. They had rescheduled it for today, making sure it fell on the same day. 10th day of the month. Instead of celebrating a one-year anniversary of knowing each other, it would be a thirteen months celebration. Calvin adjusted his suit in front of the mirror and ran a hand over the front of his jacket. He had no reason to worry. Life was good. His babies were fine. His wife was awesome. The cast of season two were already getting ready for production. A smile took over his lips as those thoughts solidified even more.The bedroom door opened, and Calvin stopped fussing with his tie. Angel strutted in,
Calvin waited in the car while his wife and sister-in-law visited their mother’s grave. His fingers drummed on his knee as the seconds went by. He couldn’t understand what they felt. Losing both parents would drive him insane. But the ladies had taken it in stride. Cara seemed to be the most affected.It was only a few days after the new year. Cara had spent it with them but returned to school the next day. These days, she spoke more often without prompting. The cast of season two had already been selected, but he wanted to give her a spot as an extra.IfLance agreed. But Lance would have to.Browsing through his phone, Calvin sat up when he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up to see Cara and Angel. Cara’s eyes were red with tears, and Angel looked to be consoling her. They stopped a few feet from the car and Angel hugged her sister. He waited behind, not sure his presence would be wanted in such moment.Soon, both lad
Christmas was a big deal for the McKenna family, but that wasn’t always the case with Hana. She adjusted her dress a few times, and her husband scooped her up before she could tug on her sleeves one more time.“Baby, you need to stop that,” Kyle warned. She hugged his neck, her eyes closing as she let out a breath. “Everyone already loves you, there’s no need to be nervous.”“Well, yeah, I guess.”Hana’s stomach grumbled. He frowned and placed a hand on her stomach. “Hungry?” “No. Just a bit nervous.”“Don’t be, okay?” he said in a patronising voice. “I love you, and my family loves you.”Hana wasn’t only nervous for herself, she was for her sister too. It was the first family dinner with Cara, Hana, and the entire McKenna clan. After her discharge from the hospital, Cara had gone cold. Or should she say,
Night rolled by without Kyle showing up to the guestroom. Hana curled under the sheet, her eyes filling with tears. Should she have been upset about the loss of their child? Yes, she was. She was hurt. Her heart was shattered for their child, but at no point did she blame her husband for that.If any one should be blamed or punished for it, it was Baba. But Kyle was driving a wall between them with his constant self-blame. They lost a child and should grieve together not push each other apart. She meant what she said about not wanting a fight with him. She had missed him too much to let what was supposed to be a shared suffering drive them apart. He was seeing it as a loss, but she saw it as a gift.Maybe others wouldn’t see it that way, but that was her. Baba pushed her. She fell on her belly but lost only one baby. What if she had lost all? She had so many more positives to be thankful for. One, her sister. Two, her babies. Three, her husband. He mi
Calvin should be a happy man since his kidnapped wife was back home, but he hadn’t gotten the courage to tell her about the babies. He also couldn’t get rid of the guilt that had taken over his chest. No matter what anyone told him, it was his fault. His stubbornness brought them here.Someone tapped him. He looked up, and a fake smile took over his lips. It was his wife.“What are you thinking?” she asked.“Nothing. Just getting ready.”Angel placed a hand on her waist. “Really?”Calvin hadn’t heard his beautiful wife enter the bathroom. She must have caught him staring into space. He tended to do that more often these days. They were getting ready to head to the hospital for their evening checkup. Cara was still there, but she was feeling better than she did last week. His wife had formed a habit of reading a chapter from her favourite romance book to her sister.
Hana’s eyes peeled open slowly. She had gotten so used to her new home that the change had her shutting her eyes again to be sure this wasn’t a dream. This… this didn’t look like where Baba kept her.Where was he? Where was Cara? Each time she tried to remember everything that could have led her to this point, her head throbbed. Someone squeezed Hana’s hand. Groaning softly, she turned to the side and saw Kyle. A minute or two passed. That, that couldn’t be real. Was she dreaming? Was this heaven?“Baby,” he whispered, his fingers brushing her cheek. He was real. Wait, were both of them dead? Did Baba kill her? How did he get here? The heart monitor beside her beeped out of control, and Kyle palmed her cheeks. “Hey, princess. Relax, it’s me. Your dragon prince.”“Kyle?”“Yes. Yes,” he whispered. “I’m here.” Hana winced as she tried to sit up. Her h
They found her. It had been a week since Calvin’s mother gave them the tip about the tracker in the pendant. In that time, they had all worked tirelessly to find Calvin’s wife. Within that time, Calvin experienced too many breakdowns to count. This ordeal wasn’t one he would wish on anyone, not even people he loathed. He sat in his wife’s office, phone in his hand, waiting for a call or something that would take him to her. His heart was broken and hollow, and had stopped beating right a long time ago.This was pain. This was torture.Coming to the office wasn’t actually for him to work. Her absence was driving him insane because her scent was everywhere. He was tired of his whole family fussing over him, so he had promised them he would show up at work to use it as a distraction. That didn’t work. Because he found himself in her office, sometimes just touching all the things she touched, staring into space or pacing the