Beira was absolutely right. I knew from the very beginning how to calm Rominic down, but I had allowed myself to convince myself that I was powerless to help. This time, however, things were going to be different. I had a plan, and the children were eager to help me execute it.The living room all the way up to our bedroom was dimly lit, with the warm glow of rose and lavender-scented candles casting a soothing ambiance. Rominic's favorite soul music played softly in the background, creating a relaxing atmosphere.As Rominic opened the door and stepped inside, a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he tugged at his necktie. He paused, his eyes widening in surprise at the transformed environment. I stepped forward so that he would be able to see me as he entered the house, his gaze sweeping over the scene in confusion and awe.Clearing my throat to get his attention, I watched as his eyes fell upon me, a seductive smile spreading across my face. His jaw dropped, and I knew exactly how he fel
Lavender's viewpointI sat on the edge of the bed, silently observing as my eldest and youngest sons engaged in a technical discussion, while Rominic paced around, on the phone with his lawyer. I must admit, I didn't fully comprehend the intricacies of the scientific jargon that Zayne had spewed out, nor Rominic's precise response. Fortunately, Zach stepped in to help me interpret the situation.The general gist was that Zach had been scouring through the secure cloud Rominic had created, searching for any useful information, but had come up empty-handed after a prolonged effort. However, Zayne then decided to take a closer look and noticed something Zach had overlooked. Apparently, Zayne had discovered that there was something locked away within the cloud, but he had been hesitant to share his findings, not wanting to raise false hopes. This had occurred nearly two weeks ago. Today, Zayne finally cracked the secure layer and revealed that Rominic had an AI system integrated into the
The news struck me hard, and my eyes widened in shock. "What did you mean? How could this have happened?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief.Rominic let out an annoyed huff. "His damn neighbors didn't even notice the stench of the corpse for two whole months! Sure, the body was dumped in the bathroom tub with water, but that still didn't explain why no one caught on for that long!" he exclaimed, frustration evident in his tone.I quickly swung my legs off the couch and slipped on my slippers, eager to remove myself from the children's presence. "But how did that explain why they didn't notice?" I tried to interject, only to be cut off by Rominic again."The water could have slowed the decomposition by keeping the body cooler and preventing some bacteria from reaching it. It might have trapped the odor, making it less intense and noticeable to the neighbors. But I could still smell it from the floor of that building. It's clearly a murder case — someone must have hired him and the
The cat was out of the bag—again. It was as if the universe was determined not to give me a break. I could see the glimmering excitement and intrigue for juicy gossip in Giovanna's eyes, and I knew from that look alone that I would never be able to convince her otherwise. All I could do now was admit the truth and try to figure out a way to convince her to keep her mouth shut.Giovanna walked beside me, her gaze fixed on my face, clearly eager to hear the details. Of course, all I had to do was tell her that I was the supposed dead fiancée of Rominic Verlice, but I knew that wouldn't be enough to satisfy her curiosity. She insisted that I tell her where I'd been and if I'd been with Rominic the entire time.Frantically, I spun a web of lies, telling her that I hadn't come back sooner because I had lost my memories, and the family who had taken me in were an elderly couple with no idea who I was. I explained that after regaining my memories, I had returned to Rominic, and we had decide
I stood before the full-length mirror, meticulously inspecting my outfit for any flaws. I had chosen a bold, stylish ensemble—a black off-the-shoulder top adorned with delicate floral embroidery. Paired with that was a pair of dark red leather leggings that hugged my legs elegantly. To complete the look, I had slipped into a pair of sleek, black over-the-knee boots. My hair was styled in a messy, loose updo, with a few soft tendrils framing my face. This allowed my statement earrings, which perfectly complemented the dramatic necklace resting comfortably on my neck and chest, to take center stage. I had put extra thought into my appearance tonight, as I knew the people I was meeting typically dressed in a very fashionable, almost daring manner. However, my final outfit choice was ultimately influenced by the fact that Rominic was the one picking me up from the bar. His "trip" had taken him out of the country for the past week, and he was finally returning. Rominic had insisted on co
I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed, rocking my body gently as I sang, my mother seated behind me on the edge of the mattress, brushing through my hair as she joined in softly. Her voice was louder and clearer than my own, the melodic tones blending together as we practiced the song "Over the Rainbow" — the very same piece I had been tasked with perfecting for my starring role as Dorothy Gale in the upcoming school play. I giggled as I thought about how my friend Ferris would be playing the part of the Cowardly Lion. He had been so vehemently opposed to the role that he'd nearly bashed his head against the wall in protest. But I knew, deep down, that Ferris would be able to embody that timid, yet cheerful character flawlessly. He was usually quite shy and reserved, only truly coming out of his shell when around me. And he had proven time and again that he would rise to my defense, no matter the danger, despite his own frailty—a fact that never ceased to amaze me, given that I wa
You should have let your foolish, gullible, and utterly naive child know the full extent of his selfishness and callousness. You should have ensured that I came to hate him with an unwavering, burning intensity—a hatred that would have been impossible for anyone or anything to diminish. And most egregiously, you never should have designated him as my next guardian, should anything ever happen to you. That decision has only served to open the door for him to potentially re-enter my life and inflict even more pain and suffering.I can only imagine the turmoil and anguish you must have endured, Mom. The thought of that heartless, deceitful man betraying your trust and abandoning you and your unborn child fills me with a seething rage. You deserved so much better than the cruel hand fate dealt you. If only you had confided in me, I could have channeled that anger towards him, ensuring he never had the opportunity to worm his way back into my life.If you had instead entrusted my upbringin
ELEVEN YEARS AGOI walked into the living room, and my mother's gaze immediately shifted from her laptop to me. Her lips curved downward into a deep frown, and her eyes narrowed with a palpable sense of displeasure upon seeing me. This had been her typical reaction to my presence for weeks, ever since I had proposed to Lavender. Mother had always been adamantly against my decision to reclaim what my maternal great-grandmother, her own grandmother, had lost to the greedy Wester D. McCabe, but she had never actively tried to stop me. That is, until I had introduced her to the granddaughter of the very man who had taken everything from her family.My mother, just like the rest of her family, firmly believed that it was a waste of time to pursue what Granny Lily had cherished the most. My great-grandmother had been the favored one among our relatives—old, yet remarkably agile, and undoubtedly the kindest person I had ever known, even more so than my own mother.Granny Lily had originally
A deep, agonizing sadness washed over me, constricting my chest as I buried my face in my palms. "Even if you won't admit it to yourself, you know that Lavender deserves more than your betrayal. That child deserves to be happy, to be with someone who will genuinely love her," my mother said softly, her voice heavy with conviction and sorrow."She can't leave, Mom. I need her for the plan," I pleaded.My mother placed her hands over mine and gently pulled them away from my face. "Rominic," she cried sorrowfully, "why can't you see what everyone else sees? Your sister didn't threaten your life to end things with Peyton because she's biased towards Lavender. Phineas isn't angry because he just hates Peyton—your father didn't turn his back on you because of either the woman or your plan to take everything away from The McCabe. They honestly deserve it—""Then what is the problem?! Why is everyone making me out to be the bad guy if you don't blame me or hate Peyton?!" I exclaimed, yanking
ELEVEN YEARS AGOI walked into the living room, and my mother's gaze immediately shifted from her laptop to me. Her lips curved downward into a deep frown, and her eyes narrowed with a palpable sense of displeasure upon seeing me. This had been her typical reaction to my presence for weeks, ever since I had proposed to Lavender. Mother had always been adamantly against my decision to reclaim what my maternal great-grandmother, her own grandmother, had lost to the greedy Wester D. McCabe, but she had never actively tried to stop me. That is, until I had introduced her to the granddaughter of the very man who had taken everything from her family.My mother, just like the rest of her family, firmly believed that it was a waste of time to pursue what Granny Lily had cherished the most. My great-grandmother had been the favored one among our relatives—old, yet remarkably agile, and undoubtedly the kindest person I had ever known, even more so than my own mother.Granny Lily had originally
You should have let your foolish, gullible, and utterly naive child know the full extent of his selfishness and callousness. You should have ensured that I came to hate him with an unwavering, burning intensity—a hatred that would have been impossible for anyone or anything to diminish. And most egregiously, you never should have designated him as my next guardian, should anything ever happen to you. That decision has only served to open the door for him to potentially re-enter my life and inflict even more pain and suffering.I can only imagine the turmoil and anguish you must have endured, Mom. The thought of that heartless, deceitful man betraying your trust and abandoning you and your unborn child fills me with a seething rage. You deserved so much better than the cruel hand fate dealt you. If only you had confided in me, I could have channeled that anger towards him, ensuring he never had the opportunity to worm his way back into my life.If you had instead entrusted my upbringin
I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed, rocking my body gently as I sang, my mother seated behind me on the edge of the mattress, brushing through my hair as she joined in softly. Her voice was louder and clearer than my own, the melodic tones blending together as we practiced the song "Over the Rainbow" — the very same piece I had been tasked with perfecting for my starring role as Dorothy Gale in the upcoming school play. I giggled as I thought about how my friend Ferris would be playing the part of the Cowardly Lion. He had been so vehemently opposed to the role that he'd nearly bashed his head against the wall in protest. But I knew, deep down, that Ferris would be able to embody that timid, yet cheerful character flawlessly. He was usually quite shy and reserved, only truly coming out of his shell when around me. And he had proven time and again that he would rise to my defense, no matter the danger, despite his own frailty—a fact that never ceased to amaze me, given that I wa
I stood before the full-length mirror, meticulously inspecting my outfit for any flaws. I had chosen a bold, stylish ensemble—a black off-the-shoulder top adorned with delicate floral embroidery. Paired with that was a pair of dark red leather leggings that hugged my legs elegantly. To complete the look, I had slipped into a pair of sleek, black over-the-knee boots. My hair was styled in a messy, loose updo, with a few soft tendrils framing my face. This allowed my statement earrings, which perfectly complemented the dramatic necklace resting comfortably on my neck and chest, to take center stage. I had put extra thought into my appearance tonight, as I knew the people I was meeting typically dressed in a very fashionable, almost daring manner. However, my final outfit choice was ultimately influenced by the fact that Rominic was the one picking me up from the bar. His "trip" had taken him out of the country for the past week, and he was finally returning. Rominic had insisted on co
The cat was out of the bag—again. It was as if the universe was determined not to give me a break. I could see the glimmering excitement and intrigue for juicy gossip in Giovanna's eyes, and I knew from that look alone that I would never be able to convince her otherwise. All I could do now was admit the truth and try to figure out a way to convince her to keep her mouth shut.Giovanna walked beside me, her gaze fixed on my face, clearly eager to hear the details. Of course, all I had to do was tell her that I was the supposed dead fiancée of Rominic Verlice, but I knew that wouldn't be enough to satisfy her curiosity. She insisted that I tell her where I'd been and if I'd been with Rominic the entire time.Frantically, I spun a web of lies, telling her that I hadn't come back sooner because I had lost my memories, and the family who had taken me in were an elderly couple with no idea who I was. I explained that after regaining my memories, I had returned to Rominic, and we had decide
The news struck me hard, and my eyes widened in shock. "What did you mean? How could this have happened?" I asked, my voice laced with disbelief.Rominic let out an annoyed huff. "His damn neighbors didn't even notice the stench of the corpse for two whole months! Sure, the body was dumped in the bathroom tub with water, but that still didn't explain why no one caught on for that long!" he exclaimed, frustration evident in his tone.I quickly swung my legs off the couch and slipped on my slippers, eager to remove myself from the children's presence. "But how did that explain why they didn't notice?" I tried to interject, only to be cut off by Rominic again."The water could have slowed the decomposition by keeping the body cooler and preventing some bacteria from reaching it. It might have trapped the odor, making it less intense and noticeable to the neighbors. But I could still smell it from the floor of that building. It's clearly a murder case — someone must have hired him and the
Lavender's viewpointI sat on the edge of the bed, silently observing as my eldest and youngest sons engaged in a technical discussion, while Rominic paced around, on the phone with his lawyer. I must admit, I didn't fully comprehend the intricacies of the scientific jargon that Zayne had spewed out, nor Rominic's precise response. Fortunately, Zach stepped in to help me interpret the situation.The general gist was that Zach had been scouring through the secure cloud Rominic had created, searching for any useful information, but had come up empty-handed after a prolonged effort. However, Zayne then decided to take a closer look and noticed something Zach had overlooked. Apparently, Zayne had discovered that there was something locked away within the cloud, but he had been hesitant to share his findings, not wanting to raise false hopes. This had occurred nearly two weeks ago. Today, Zayne finally cracked the secure layer and revealed that Rominic had an AI system integrated into the
Beira was absolutely right. I knew from the very beginning how to calm Rominic down, but I had allowed myself to convince myself that I was powerless to help. This time, however, things were going to be different. I had a plan, and the children were eager to help me execute it.The living room all the way up to our bedroom was dimly lit, with the warm glow of rose and lavender-scented candles casting a soothing ambiance. Rominic's favorite soul music played softly in the background, creating a relaxing atmosphere.As Rominic opened the door and stepped inside, a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he tugged at his necktie. He paused, his eyes widening in surprise at the transformed environment. I stepped forward so that he would be able to see me as he entered the house, his gaze sweeping over the scene in confusion and awe.Clearing my throat to get his attention, I watched as his eyes fell upon me, a seductive smile spreading across my face. His jaw dropped, and I knew exactly how he fel