Everything was almost still the same. The company was still the way I redesigned it. I smiled as I walked behind him, looking around my work. It was the first thing I did when we were still friends. He complained that he didn't like how his company looked because his father allowed his sister to remodel it as a birthday wish. His sister did badly at it knowing fully well he hated it. I offered to help him. He was skeptical at first because I wasn't a professional, but I sure showed him and everyone else that I was good at redecoration.Then, I thought I really impressed him with my hard work and that helped my campaign to win his heart. Little did I know he was going to ask me out anyway as part of his scheme."Welcome, Mr. Verlice." The greeting went on and on. The curious eyes of the workers were fixed on the fat lady behind their boss, who looked like she was plucked out of an evil novel. Yeah, I get it."Lavender," Stacy called joyfully, approaching us with a wide smile. It took m
Lavender's viewpointPhineas, the only guy who successfully became Rominic's friend when they were young and the only man who could stand up to his sisters. It wasn't because he was all-powerful, but because he was damn right fearless. He wasn't afraid of anything. Literally. There was one time a python ended up in front of him when we went camping. Phineas sat there nonchalantly staring straight into its eyes before Rominic shot it. Then afterward, he shrugged it off like nothing.Phineas' sky-blue eyes brightened with mischief as he stared at me. I scoffed and looked at Stacy. "I need to go. Trouble has come to find me,"The expression on Stacy's face made it clear she didn't like Phineas either. I didn't hate him, I just didn't like how bold, fearless, and annoying he was. There has to be something that scares a person, but Phineas has none. And even if he did have, he was a master at hiding his fears.I tried to walk past him but he captured me. His arms went around my waist and h
I drummed my fingers on my folded arm as I watched the lady struggle to put her clothes back on. If it was in the past, I would have reacted by crying and running away, but I couldn't be bothered enough to run away and I was able to observe the situation before judging. The naked woman was about to get her head torn by a laptop when I walked in. Rominic already had the laptop in the air, ready to throw it at her head and the rage on his face was enough to make me shiver with fear. I wasn't exactly sure how the situation ended up like that, and I didn't want to pry.The lady barely slipped on her skirt before Phineas grabbed her roughly by the arm and started dragging her out. "Miss Silver," Rominic called spitefully, glaring murderously at her. I wouldn't want to be her. "Do be kind and tell your father that he'll hear from me soon for his generous gift,""My father didn't send me!" The girl yelled distraughtly. "Sir, please—""Leave," he snapped. Phineas dragged the girl out as she p
I walked to the elevator, rubbing my forehead from exhaustion. I pressed the button and the door slid open for me. I was about to walk inside when someone called my name. I turned around and saw that it was Giovanna. She seemed to have changed out of her previous clothes and was wearing something similar to a man's jacket. I raised a brow as she approached me.Giovanna looked at her body and laughed. "Someone spilled coffee on me so I changed out of my clothes. I always carry a spare," she explained. I nodded. She looked at the elevator and back at me. "Work already ended for the day,""The boss sent me on an errand. As you can see," I showed her my phone and my wallet, "I didn't carry my things. I'm signing out for the day,""Oh," she looked at her wristwatch. "Wanna go together?" I shook my head negatively. I liked that she was friendly but I didn't know her at all and I still had trust issues.Giovanna shrugged and started to walk away. "See you tomorrow, Laverne… Can I call you th
"Take a seat if you wish to," he said coldly and walked out of the room. I stared after him, rubbing my ass as I whimpered. He was acting quite cold. It wasn't like he used to be. Rominic was the sweetest… okay, facade, I get it.I sighed and stood up, groaning as the pain shot from my butt cheeks to my knees and elbows. I kicked off my shoes, pulled my sweater over my head, and tossed it on the leather mid-century modern sofa, the only one in the office that could fit four semi-fat people. I sat down on it and wiggled my throbbing ass for comfort."Bastard," I didn't even know whether to be angry or cry from the pain and humiliation, so I just chose both. Cry in rage. It would be so easy to kill him, we were alone after all. But I couldn't. Working together was a bad idea, but again, I couldn't quit. I needed to lay a good example for Zachary. If I quit, he'd know and distance himself from his father. As tempting as the situation was, I prefer not to.I never got the love of my fathe
You know that feeling where you feel like the ground should swallow you up? Well, that was how I felt while sitting in his car and staring out of the window.I wanted to scream and yell from the earlier incident. I blame him for angering me and making me come after him. The fortunate reward is that he didn't die, that should be good enough as an apology for him. But what I saw…I groaned and sank into the car seat, fighting the urge to bury my face in my knees and turn to mud. As much as I was trying to be brazen about it, I knew it wasn't something I wanted to live with. It's not like I haven't seen it before, but I had always been a big-time prude and it had been years since I saw a fine naked man. The keyword is fine. I don't know if it's possible but he looked bigger than before or maybe it was because it'd been years since I last saw 'him'. And the worst part was that I was supposed to be an erotophobe.Why didn't I feel repulsed by the sight?Why did I like what I saw?And Jesus
I quietly ate at the dining table, not conversing with the kids or grumpy Rominic. He was still in pain and I felt so much better after crying because he deserved it. Crying reminded me of why I need to hate him, and why I must show him no mercy for his wrongdoings.Zachary and Savia noticed it, but they didn't do anything to question me and I was glad they didn't. "So, Mom, you're quiet," Zachary stated, looking at me from the corner of his eyes. Or not.I sighed, he was ready to bother me. "I'm tired,""So I'm guessing your day didn't go so well," Savvy added, giving me her signature smirk. I rolled my eyes to Nic who grumbled something about me being an insufferable woman."Dad, how did your day go?""Bad, terrible, and I blame your mother,""Seriously?" He slammed his fork down and flared his nostrils in furious annoyance."Yes, seriously. Working with you is like signing a contract with the grim reaper. First, you almost lost your mind because of holographic snakes," my cheeks bu
"I was going to tell him but there were snakes!" I exclaimed.Rominic stared at me seriously. "What happened to my children?""Some bitch teacher—""Manners, young lady," I scolded, glaring at Savia.She huffed. "Can't I just swear out loud this once?""No,""Permitted,""Rominic! You can't go encouraging your kids to swear! She's just eight!""I'm like a few months away from my ninth birthday,"My lips twitched into a sneer. "That doesn't warrant it, sweetheart. You're not allowed to swear even in your head,""That's taking away their freedom of speech," Rominic said in a somewhat complaining manner.I glared at him. "They are kids, Nic,"He rolled his eyes with a scornful glare. "You cursed at me the whole day,""I'm an adult in my early thirties,""Then you should show a good example too,""They can swear as much as they want when they are grownups," I argued, folding my arms once again."No one is allowed to tell my children what to do. They can do and say whatever they want,"I an
I let out a heavy sigh as I gazed absentmindedly out the window. My mind was in turmoil, consumed with worry for Rominic's well-being. The situation was far graver than I had initially thought.Even though Rominic always backed up his files in a secure cloud, he had been unable to find evidence of the crucial blueprint. He was not only in shock from the knowledge that his secret cloud had been compromised but also from the fact that the perpetrators had effortlessly accessed his password and shut down his security system without any warning.The only silver lining was that his other important files were stored in a different secured box, protected by a randomly generated password that he had carelessly crafted. He had failed to secure the particular file in question, however, because he needed to access it frequently, and the additional security measures seemed like too much of a hassle.Rominic's password was the pet name my mother had used for me, written in reverse with the additio
It had been a week since the reunion, and I had unconsciously fallen into a routine with Rominic — or rather, Rominic had orchestrated this routine for us. Every morning, he made sure to steal a kiss or two, whether in front of the children or in private. We always ate breakfast together, and at night, we would cuddle and make out before falling asleep.The most agonizing part about this routine wasn't that I was angry about it, but because of Rominic's half-hearted approach. He would kiss me until I was a wet, trembling mess, my body consumed by desire, and then he would abruptly stop. His excuse was that he had promised himself he would never do anything I didn't want him to do — in other words, he wanted me to ask him directly before he would take things further.Rominic knew that my pride would never allow me to make such a request. No, he was well aware that with enough diligent preparation, he would eventually break down my defenses and make me give in to my desires. The bastard
I was taken aback, even though I had anticipated it. My body froze for a moment, caught in the throes of a forbidden desire.I was kissing the enemy!He was kissing me!I should stop!But instead of pulling away, I found myself responding, my lips dancing with his in a dangerous ballet. This single act sealed my fate. He slid his leg beneath mine, adjusting our position on the bed to make me more comfortable, though comfort was the last thing on my mind. Rominic's hands roamed my body, tracing a path of desire up my neck and into my hair. He had a particular fondness for my hair, always tangling his fingers in it. A soft moan escaped from both of us, swallowed by our joined lips.I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, my legs twitching with the urge to wrap around his waist. There was too much space between us, too much distance. I yearned to close that gap, to press myself against him, to feel the friction that would quench my burning desire.I traced the tips of my n
I tossed and turned restlessly on my side of the bed, sighing heavily. Today had been a whirlwind of events, the drama both concerning and exciting. Tyra and Link had decided to have a private conversation to work things out, and the conclusion of the earlier incident weighed heavily on my mind.Rylee had suggested that I should try to make Rominic jealous, throwing her support behind Phineas's plan. Rylee was always in Phineas's corner, and we all knew that it wouldn't take much to provoke Rominic's fiery jealousy. But that was the very problem I was grappling with.Were they truly serious about me intentionally infuriating Rominic? I could barely handle him as it was; the thought of pushing him to the edge filled me with dread. Rominic was capable of such intense rage that he might even commit violence, and they still wanted me to go through with this scheme. It felt like a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, despite my reservations, I couldn't help but contemplate the idea, questionin
I turned my gaze back to Tyra, and was immediately struck by the raw emotion etched across her face. Her eyes, once wide with surprise and disbelief, now glistened with unshed tears. Concern flashing across my face, I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, asking, "Tyra, are you okay?"My touch seemed to jolt Tyra out of her trance-like state, but rather than addressing me, a dark fury suddenly clouded her expression. The intensity of her anger made me cringe internally.Without warning, Tyra thrust her daughter into my arms, barking, "Hold her." Then, with purpose in her stride, she marched straight towards Link, rolling up her sleeves as she went. Link's face contorted with panic, cursed under his breath and hurriedly scrambled out of his seat, putting as much distance between himself and Tyra as possible. "I can explain, let me explain!" he pleaded, his voice laced with desperation."Explain?! Explain?!!! What the fuck do you want to explain, you bastard!!!" Tyra's thunderous roar
The tiny girl in question was undeniably cute. "Wow, so many pups," I said, eliciting a chorus of delighted laughter from the children. I walked over to her and bent down slightly, smiling as she blushed shyly."Hello, I'm Lavender. What's your name?" I asked, keeping my voice gentle."Laverne," she replied, hiding her face behind her small palms. I looked over my shoulder at Elias, who simply shrugged, while Ginger winked knowingly. Ah, so they had named her after me — or at least a close variation."It's so nice to meet you, Aunty Lavender," Laverne said, peeking out from behind her hands. I couldn't resist scooping her up into my arms, cooing over how adorable she was. She had inherited Elias' dark blond hair and skin tone, but Ginger's captivating reddish-brown eyes."What about me?" another voice cried, and I felt a small tug on the skirt of my dress. Glancing down, I squealed in delight at the sight of the puffy little muffin of a child. "Hello, I'm Wren, and Mommy said you alwa
I moved around the kitchen with the agility of a gazelle, determined to get everything done as quickly as possible. Today was the big day, and the others would be arriving soon, but I still had some cooking left to do.Suddenly, Chef Russo returned with his daughter. My kids already loved her, and she was a talented cook too — well, except for Zachary, who seemed to have a bit of a grudge against her.Unfortunately, Chef Russo had come down with a sudden cold that morning, leaving me to battle the meal on my own. Thankfully, his daughter and Savia stepped in to assist me, along with the two maids that Rominic had called in to help. I didn't thank him directly, but I knew he understood how grateful I was for his assistance. If he didn't, that was his problem."Lavender!!!" The familiar voice of Rominic suddenly rang out, and I felt a surge of frustration wash over me. I wiped my face and signaled for the maid to watch the stove, then hurried out of the kitchen.I take back everything I
I felt a gentle tugging at my dress and looked down to see my daughters, Savia and Serenity. Serenity's eyes were brimming with tears, while Savia wore a deeply concerned expression."Mom, why are those women killing our father?" Savia asked, her voice tinged with distress."Mommy, who are they?" Serene inquired, her gaze fixed on the women."Those are your aunties, and they are beating your father up because he did something mean to them. Don't worry, he'll be…" I paused mid-sentence as I heard Rominic's agonized scream, followed by a loud splash. They had thrown him into the pool. "Fine," I added, clicking my tongue. They would never simply throw him in without breaking something first. "He'll survive," I reassured the girls.Rylee let out a mocking laugh as she stood over the pool, watching Rominic sink beneath the surface without any apparent struggle. There was no way he would actually drown — Rominic was an exceptional swimmer, a skill Serenity had inherited. Unless…"Rylee, did
As I stood before them once more, I was struck by the complete absence of the anger I had anticipated. Instead, a profound sense of delight filled my heart as I gazed upon the mature female version of my husband and our children.Her winter gray eyes expanded like those of a curious cat, and her mischievous smirk melted into a genuine, warm smile. Rylee spread her arms wide, her brows wiggling playfully, and I couldn't help but laugh as I ran into her welcoming embrace. She was still as tall as I remembered, her stature commanding and imposing.Rylee shared the same striking facial features as her brother, but there was an undeniable air of badassery about her. It was evident in the way she dressed, spoke, and carried herself — her very aura exuding a sense of unapologetic confidence. From the moment I had first met her, her hair had been messily dyed to resemble the hue of freshly spilled blood or a pint of vibrant red paint splattered across her head.Rylee's appearance was a striki