“Mom… I mean, Alice?” Yanni sounded vulnerable. She was on the verge of tears.Zoe’s lips trembled. She carried Yanni into her arms, but she didn’t ask or say anything. The fact was that there could only be one answer for it. There was only one answer where it could explain how she ended up with Mason and why he treated her this way.She was his estranged wife!Doing everything she could to suppress her own feelings, she held the little girl’s hands and told Luke they’d hail a cab when they were done with dinner.The old chauffeur checked in with Mason before agreeing to it. Running her fingers across Yanni’s face, she said, “Let’s go have some dinner!”Then, she shouldered her school bag and kept holding onto the little girl’s hands, reluctant to let go.Mom’s back! Yanni thought to herself.Zoe picked a high-end restaurant for dinner. It was The One Gourmet, a global chain of French restaurants. The moment she stepped into it, the waiter was stunned. She stammered, “Ms. Zoe!
A few minutes later, she and Liam were sitting in a coffee shop. Yanni, on the other hand, was sitting on the couch. She was paging through some books, feeling bored, but she kept her ears pricked.He looked at the little girl and couldn’t help but feel downhearted. There was such a time when Yanni used to greet him warmly. However, she had forgotten about it completely. Averting his gaze, he looked at Zoe and said, “She’s such a big girl now!”There were some inexplicable emotions in his eyes. Zoe used to hate him to the bones. There was no way she would’ve had coffee with him if she hadn’t lost her memories. After all, he vividly remembered how she tried to ram him with a car.On the other hand, she could just guess who she was to him. Lowering her head, she stirred her coffee and said softly, “I’m sorry! I’ve lost my memories and I don’t remember who you are. I don’t think we’re lovers or anything. Right?”Liam raised his head slightly. Underneath the gentle glow of the
Zoe woke up in a hospital. The ceiling light was harsh on her eyes. So, she shut them again. She gave herself a couple of minutes and opened her eyes when they had adjusted.Then, she saw Mason sitting by the bed. He was dressed in formal attire and probably got here from the office. His eyes were bloodshot.Turning her head toward the window, she saw the moon on the horizon. She asked softly, “What time is it now?”“It’s one in the morning!” His voice was a little husky. Leaning over, he ran his hands across her face affectionately while he stared at her profoundly. They might’ve been a couple and did a lot of intimate stuff together, but it felt a little different now. Aside from the genuine love in his eyes, the way he was looking at her was the way a husband would look at his wife. However, the more affectionate he was toward her, the more it broke her heart.She simply couldn’t move on from Lilith.Leaning her cheeks on the white pillow, she listened to his breathing. B
That was why Zoe ducked when he tried to kiss her. An instinctive reaction was more telling than anything she could've said.He didn’t force her to do it. He reminded himself that it was good enough for them to still be together after so many heartbreaking split-ups.However, it didn’t hurt any less.Zoe had blocked him out. She built a thick wall in her heart, all because of what happened with Lilith. It was the middle of the night by the time Zoe passed out from sheer exhaustion. On the other hand, he didn’t have any desire to sleep. Opening the door, he walked all the way to the end of the hallway. Then, he pulled out a packet of cigarettes with trembling hands, took one out, and lit it up.The window was only half closed and he was only wearing a black shirt, which did nothing to fight the cold night air. With that said, he paid it no mind. He merely stood in the black of night and smoked without a word, taking in the depressing feeling of an unrequited love. Before t
Zoe’s body went stiff. He thought she’d turn him down. To his surprise, she actually thought about it and said softly, “Okay.”That stunned him. After a brief moment, he tightened his hug over her and asked, “Are you still mad?”She thought about it for a second and said, “I’m still upset at you. However, I can never understand how the old Zoe feels. I can’t sense any of the despair, nor do I know how it feels to be driven mad!”She said truthfully, “However, I no longer love you the same way I did, Mason.” With that, she turned around. Raising her head to look at her, she said in a husky voice, “From here on out, we are husband and wife! I can guarantee that I’ll fulfill the duty of a wife if you don’t do wrong by me anymore.“I’m going to let go of the past and I’m not just doing it for the kids. I’m also doing it for myself. The doctor said that I shouldn’t force myself to remember it.” Her tone was gentle, but there was a touch of bitterness in it. She had lost her memori
Noah had regretted that for a long time. He had doted on Zoe ever since they were young, but they had turned against each other that time. Hugging Zoe, he uttered sorrowfully, “I’m so glad you’re back!”She didn’t remember who he was, but his heartfelt hug stirred her heart so greatly that she wanted to cry. Hugging his arms, she said sobbingly, “Noah!”He patted her head. After they had grown up, they had never been this close to each other. However, he was so moved that Zoe was found again. He didn’t mind holding his younger sister the way he did when they were young. He was having a hard time letting her go.Mason, who was standing at the side, said dryly, “It’s cold out here. Let’s take this inside!”Wiping her tears, Mia said, “That’s right! You’re still not recovered fully too. Let’s head in.”So, all of them went into the manor. Everyone was seated. Yanni was leaning on her mom. Now, she was a smart girl who wasn’t just brilliant and capable, but she had also done a g
The next thing she knew, he had already kissed her neck. His lips were searing to the touch. It was slimy too. Then, his lips trailed her bathrobe and moved down her body. She raised her head slightly, trying to beat back the waves of pleasure he was giving her. She was turned on, but she resented it. Just as Mason was about to take things to the next level, she gripped his hand abruptly, trying to stop him from going further.Her voice was husky when she said, “I’m a little worn out, Mason.”Now, he was an extremely perceptive guy. So, it was only natural that he knew how a lady’s mind worked. She was just making up an excuse. She wasn’t tired. She just didn’t want to do it.With that said, he didn’t push it. He didn’t let go of her immediately either. Instead, he leaned on her shoulder and spent a long time calming himself before he walked into the bathroom.Moments later, she heard telltale sounds from there. He was probably taking care of it himself. As expected, there wa
He turned on the heater and made her favorite brand of coffee, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. He said in a deep voice when the coffee’s bitter odor filled up the entire room, “Having trouble sleeping? Is that why you were trying to dig up your past?”She didn’t deny it. He sat across the table. His voice was deeper than the dark of night when he spoke. “Our past isn’t exactly pleasant, Zoe. In fact, it is ugly and full of pain. I can tell you everything about it if that’s what you want.”She remained quiet at that. Then, he said bitterly, “I only have a condition. You can’t leave me.”That was something she could agree to. “It’s a deal!”His voice was husky as he recounted their past. He didn’t try to hide or sugarcoat anything. The full facade of their history was laid bare to her. He told her about Lilith and the night he slapped her in the study. He even told her about the time when he sent her to the rehabilitation center. Then, dawn rolled on and it stopped raining.