I loathe that my children are my greatest weakness. What's worse is that Rominic, my not-so-greatest enemy, is fully aware of my vulnerabilities and has mastered the art of exploiting them for his own benefit.I mentally snorted at the thought. Is there anything this man doesn't know how to use against someone? Manipulation and scheming seem to be ingrained into the very fabric of his family. It's as if they were born with the innate power to be domineering, manipulative, silent as deadly snakes, and untreatable psychopaths. I've never encountered a family where madness is their second nature, but the Verlice clan has proven that it is indeed possible.To the outside world, they present themselves as cold, calculating billionaires, business tycoons, and intellectual giants. But only those who have experienced or witnessed their madness firsthand know the true nature of this family. Their dynamic is truly freakish, yet I still found myself falling in love with Rominic.I vividly rememb
I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I watched the interaction between Rominic and Zachary. Rominic was speaking to Zachary with a soft, affectionate tone — a stark contrast to the way he typically addressed me. It was obvious he was trying to cozy up to Zachary, but I couldn't help but smile at the thought of using this as a potential means of escape."So, what do you think of this one?" Rominic asked Zachary, his voice dripping with that uncharacteristic tenderness.Zachary considered the design for a moment before shaking his head. "The design is fabulous, really, but the idea, I'm not so sure. We are aiming for something simple yet unique, something that won't endanger children's lives. The idea is good, but the pressure of adding it to the construction of the board would be dangerous, as it could result in heat and explosion after a limited time. If we end up doing it, the team would have to come up with a way to limit it, and that won't be fun for those who would be buying it. We
I stared at the headline, a deep sense of dread slowly unfurling within me. Shock, confusion, and finally, curiosity warred for dominance as I tapped the link, opening the news page. Rominic's face was the first thing that greeted me, and the sight of it sent a jolt through my heart, a scornful sneer automatically curling my lips.Scrolling down, I began to read the article. Mercury Hot News was a well-known hub for celebrity gossip, their pages overflowing with salacious breaking news, whether positive or negative. I could only hope that this particular story would not fall into the latter category."We all know that over the past years, Rominic B. Verlice has remained unmarried and single ever since the death of his fiancée. A lot of questions have been asked about why he hasn't moved on, and no answers have been given from either him or those around him. Well, it's a shocking surprise that I discovered his secret coincidentally," the reporter wrote, their tone casual and conversati
"I can't believe he has children," Giovanna remarked, the disbelief evident in her voice for what must have been the umpteenth time that week. The office had been abuzz with people discussing the news from every angle.Rominic, however, remained unfazed. He had already heard the news, but he simply didn't care. The only reason he had kept silent about them in the first place was because of me.Stacy, too, had not uttered a word on the matter, and many of the workers continued to ask me if the rumors were true, since I was Rominic's PA. But they were getting no information out of me."He's a man, what do you expect?" I replied dismissively.Giovanna shrugged, a crease of concern etching her brow. "I don't know, not having kids? I mean, I heard he was emotionally traumatized by his fiancée's death and the assassination schemes that followed. From what I know, she was assassinated and he blames himself for it. He hasn't been seen with women for years, and now suddenly he has children? He
"Wh-what a-are you doing?" I stammered, caught off guard by his unexpected actions."Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for bringing them into this world and keeping them alive. Thank you for raising them so well, thank you for letting me be part of their lives."It dawned on me again that Rominic knew me more than I wanted to accept. Did he know I'd feel like this after seeing the pictures? Did he do this knowing that it was all I needed to sweep the negative emotions under the rug? Or did he just do it because he genuinely felt that way?"Rominic, are you crying?" I asked, my brow furrowed with concern as I tried to catch a glimpse of his face, still half-buried against my shoulder.He pulled back, revealing a face flushed with emotion, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "I'm a proud father," he laughed, the sound mingling with a hint of something more primal. "And a horny husband."The initial shock of his embrace instantly wore off, replaced by a
I had no expectations of what Rominic was going to do, but as expected, he had emerged victorious. I knew it the moment he had made the offer — it was all part of a recent video that Phineas had uploaded, just three minutes before showing it to me.The footage was from the day prior, when Phineas and I had been engaged in a twerk battle. The stakes were high — the winner would be allowed to vandalize Rominic's favorite car with their own unique idea. My face had been blurred out of the video, but my body was on full display. I had panicked at first, biting my finger nervously as I watched the scene unfold. But then I had forced myself to relax, remembering that I shouldn't care what others thought about my body. I was no longer that same insecure Lavender.The pink, loose satin shorts I had worn made my behind appear even bouncier, but Phineas had proven to be a true twerking king. I was losing the battle miserably. Suddenly, Rominic had walked in, Stacy trailing behind him with his
I yawned loudly, stretching up onto my tiptoes and bending my exhausted body backward in a long, languid motion. The action elicited several satisfying pops from my aching bones, as if releasing the built-up tension. My stiff body felt as rigid as the bones of rocks.Twisting from side to side, I kicked my legs out, feeling the muscles strain. Then, grabbing the hem of my skirt, I pulled it up and allowed myself to sink down into a perfect split. Bending my body back, I curled one leg forward until my knee touched my chest, stretching out the tension."What are you doing?" Ah, right. I had forgotten I still shared this office with him. Rolling my eyes, I shut them, trying to ignore his presence as I had been doing all day. Earlier that morning, the audacity of him kissing me in front of the children, knowing I couldn't push him away — the problem wasn't the kiss itself, but the effect it had on me. I had refused to speak to him since then. How dare he make my heart thump with that si
I did not expect Mama to reveal such personal information, and neither, it seemed, did Rominic. Choosing to ignore the heavy revelation, I smiled at Round 2 instead."It's been a long time since I had one of these," I chirped, picking up one of the extra spicy ram liver skewers. I wasn't entirely sure if the meat was liver, but I knew it came from a ram and was coated in layers of savory sauce and pepper. I dragged one of the morsels off the stick with my teeth, moaning as the intense flavors assaulted my taste buds, causing them to almost literally cry out from the heat."It's delicious," he remarked, causing me to want to glare at him and demand how he would know, since he had never been able to eat it before. I was shocked to see Rominic taking a bite of the food in front of him, given his notoriously sensitive stomach. I hastily gulped down the bite I had in my own mouth, my eyes going wide. "What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed. "You can't eat that, you'll end up in the hos