Liam's POVI held Aria's little hands as we walked into the house, Nichole walked behind.We had gone to provide the necessary documents at the court.The wedding was to be held in few months. Nichole will officially become my wife and move in with me. It still felt surreal. I mean Nichole was the last person I would ever want to get married to. While she was crazily excited, I, on the other hand, only followed through every step of the marriage reluctantly. I knew the gravity of what I was walking into. But I had no choice than to endure for my little girl's happiness. Finally, I could make it up to her for the lost days.Over the past few days, we have bonded quite well, I didn't wait for Mother to invite her over, I always went over to bring her myself, and I allowed Nichole to visit as well. I have come to realize how much of a sweet angel Aria is which made me regret hurting her the more, she was nothing like her mother, they were only alike in so many physical features, whi
Emily's POV.I quickly brushed my hair into a ponytail, straightening my gown and turned around to stare at my reflection in the mirror. A wide smile broke out on my face as I gazed at my reflection, my purple dress synched perfectly with my skin which was glowing brightly under the morning sun penetrating into the room through the window. My happiness has doubled since Adrian and I got together.He did everything to make me happy and my kids as well. Just like he had promised me on my delivery bed, we have become one big family, and nothing but love ruled over. Taking one last glance at myself in the mirror, I headed out of the room towards my kids room.I guess they would have been ready for school right now, Helen helped me prepare them for school whenever I woke up late, just like today. She was kind enough to move in with us and only went home during the weekends, enabling her help me with the kids as I have resumed work and my schedule had become a little too tight. I pull
Emily's POV.I walked into the company building, my heels clicking against the tiled floor.Eric had drove through my kids school, dropping them off before driving me here, which contributed to more lateness. I had no choice, motherhood comes with it's price. Thankfully, I didn't have any meetings scheduled today. I couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable air around me as I walked through the hallway towards my office. Everywhere was surprisingly dried. The deadly silence seemed to swallow my whole, the usual buzz of employees at their desks was replaced now with an eerie stillness. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine, my thoughts racing as I contemplated the reason for the quietness.Could it be that everyone was caught up in their morning schedules just like I have been with the kids, hence resuming for work late?No, it couldn't be a coincidence that everyone was late to work, something has to be the problem. It suddenly struck me.I could get my answers from
Emily's POV.My legs felt like lead as I moved towards the nearest empty chair, my eyes fixed on Mr Gonzalez's face.He hasn't said anything since I walked in but the look on his face did little to ease my growing sense of dread.Sinking down into the seat, I waited for someone, anyone, to speak up about what was going on. Mr and Mrs Gonzalez never visited the company, since they had already willed it to him, and whenever they visited, they always went straight to his office, and leaves afterwards without having to summon the employees. I could feel the weight of the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air, each passing second like a lifetime."Emily," Mrs. Gonzalez began, her voice heavy with emotion. "Since you came in late, I'll have to do a quick run back,""I hate to break such terrible news to you this early, you haven't even started your day yet,"My heart skipped a beat as her words filtered into my ears. My breath caught in my throat, my heart pounding in my ears. "Terri
Emily's POV.My footsteps echoed through my office as I paced back and forth, my mind whirling with conflicting emotions. My frustration and anger seeped into every step I took. My thoughts spun around like a turmoil, each new thought blending into the next until they formed a dizzying blur of pressure.I didn't know what to do.Merely having thoughts about returning to New York broke me, not speaking of truly having to return there. As I continued to pace, the knot in my stomach tightened, growing larger and more imposing with every step. I stopped suddenly, sending my hands through my hair as if I could physically squeeze out my thoughts and have them not disturb me anymore.But nothing could take it away, there were a million thoughts and a million tiny voices in my head reminding me how close I was to my past yet again.Just when I thought I have managed to escape it. Here it was again, staring at me deep in the eyes. I was at crossroads.All I wanted was to reject the offer
Emily's POV.I exhaled a deep breath as I checked myself out in the mirror once more, I was fully ready to get this over and done with.Despite how hard I tried to buy more time for myself, I couldn't get more than a week, and my time was up now.It was finally time for me to leave. Ryan and Nadia were coming with me as well, they were still too young to stay without their mother, even though I knew that Adrian was willing to play the role of both parents for them. I just really wanted to take them with me. My head snapped towards my packed bag and I sighed. I couldn't believe I was going back to the city that has caused me so much pain of my lifetime, I had thought I could turn my back to it forever but I guess life has it's way of throwing your worst nightmare at your face and watch you struggle to break free.I was fully ready to challenge mine and break free without a scratch. Despite how complicated the situation was, I wasn't ready to back off because of my situation with Li
Emily's POV. It's been a few days since we arrived New York, and thankfully, everything was sailing smoothly. I had jumped into work as soon as I arrived, I needed to get everything done as soon as possible and head back to London. Thankfully, there hasn't been any form of contact between Liam and I since my stay here and I hoped it will remain that way, for as long as possible. "I look forward to hearing from you, sir," I grinned widely as I walked out of the meeting hall, while the manager of the company where I had gone to pitch my proposal walked me to the parking lot. From the wide smile on his evident that he was impressed by my presentation.Who wouldn't? I learnt from the best and I can not be any less than that. "Do have a nice day," he waved at me before turning around and walked back into the building. "How was your presentation ma'am?" My new driver, Hardin asked."It was perfect, Hardin, I guess we'll just sit back and expect good news fro m them," I replied. He no
Emily's POV. It was Liam. My eyes weren't deceiving me, he really is the one. He was squatting before Aria, stroking her cheeks and whispering things that made her blush. I didn't quite get what was going on, could Liam be Aria's father?If true, then life seem to be playing a really tricky game with me. Of all the schools in New York, I just had to register my kids in the same school with his, and now they are friends.I watched as he leaned closer towards Liam, whispering to him as well. I guess he was aware that they were friends. Suddenly, he grabbed Aria's hands, waving the kids goodbye and made to turn towards the door. I quickly hid behind the door, turning around and hurried down the hallway.When I was certain that he was gone, I came out of my hiding place and hurried back towards the classroom. "Mom, where did you go? Aria's father was here, you would have met him," My heartbeat increased drastically as he further confirmed that Liam was really Aria's father.He r
The restaurant was warm, the golden lights casting a cozy glow over the sleek wooden tables. Soft jazz music played in the background, mingling with the murmurs of the other diners, the clinking of silverware against fine china.I sat by the window, stirring my drink absentmindedly as I watched the city move outside. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was alone. No responsibilities pressing on my shoulders, no demands clawing at my time. Just me, a beautifully plated meal, and the illusion of peace.I let out a long sigh, sinking into the plush chair, allowing myself to bask in the moment. Life had been... exhausting. For years, I had been running. Not literally, but emotionally, mentally. Running to fix things, to prove myself, to erase the shadows of the past. And on top of that, I had a daughter now—a beautiful, sweet little girl who meant everything to me. She had Ryan’s piercing eyes, his lips, but my face. Every time I looked at her, it was like seeing pieces of him
Aria's POV. It had been two years since everything changed... since the scandal that turned my world upside down. And then my parents had it fixed. Christie, Josh and I were done with highschool and now in our first year in college. And just like every other day, we were laughing about some stupid class project as we made our way down the sidewalk.Suddenly, my phone tucked in my pocket and I quickly fetched it from my pocket, I didn't recognize the number, but it was an unknown area code, and something about it made my stomach drop.“Hold on, guys,” I said to Christie and Josh before picking the call “Hello?” “Is this Aria Liam's?” a calm voice on the other end asked.“Yes,” I replied, getting confused now. “This is city hall hospital. We need you to come in immediately. Your presence is required.”My mind raced. The urgency in the voice sent a chill down my spine. “What happened? Is everything okay?”“I’m afraid I can’t give you any details over the phone,” she said. “But it’s
Aria's POV.I had never been so relieved to return to school. Two weeks off, two long weeks of hiding away in my room, avoiding the pitying stares from neighbors, and the whispers of strangers who thought they knew everything. But today, today I was going back. I wasn’t going alone either. My parents were walking beside me, I didn’t know exactly what they had planned, but I knew they were going to do something about the scandal. Something that would either make everything better.. or make it worse.I adjusted the strap of my bag, glancing at my parents as we walked through the front gate of the school. Mom was standing tall, shoulders squared, walking with a determined pace. Dad, on the other hand, had his hands jammed deep into his pockets. They looked like the same parents I had known my whole life, though today felt different. They were on a mission.The moment we stepped onto school grounds, I could feel the tension. The eyes. People were still talking about us.. about the scanda
Aria's POV.The moment I broke the hug, a strange sensation crawled through my body. It wasn’t pain, but something that felt like an overwhelming wave, an unsettling force pulling at my insides. My stomach twisted, and a sudden wave of nausea surged up through my chest, catching me off guard. My vision blurred, and I swayed, struggling to keep myself upright. I gripped the edge of the chair, my fingers digging into the hard surface in an attempt to ground myself. But her body wasn’t listening to me. It felt like it had betrayed me, as if it had no control of its own."Hey, Aria, what's wrong?" I heard distant voices but I couldn't make out who they belonged to.My head spun, the room seeming to tilt at an impossible angle. The world around me began to dissolve, the sounds muffled as if underwater. I gasped for air, trying to steady myself, but it was as though the air itself had become thick, too heavy for me to breathe. My chest tightened, and my pulse raced, the noise of my heartbea
Aria's POV.The days dragged on, each one stretching endlessly without Ryan. The grief was a living thing, wrapping around me, suffocating me. I missed him in ways that words could never capture. It wasn’t just his presence; it was the way he made me feel, the way he could make even the worst moments bearable. Now, everything was unbearable.I hadn’t left my room much, only stepping out when my body physically forced me to. I barely ate. I barely slept. When I did sleep, it was restless, haunted by dreams of Ryan... his voice, his touch, his warmth. Only to wake up to the cruel reality that he was gone.Christie and Josh had been my lifeline, visiting almost daily. They would knock, call my name softly, and even if I didn’t answer, they would sit outside my door for hours, talking about everything and nothing at all. I didn’t deserve them, but I needed them. Even if I could barely acknowledge it.It was a week of my suspension today, after spending hours lying in bed, staring blankly
Ryan's POV.It had been days. Days since Ryan had disappeared from my life, leaving nothing but an empty hole where my heart used to be. I could still feel the echoes of his presence, haunting the corners of the house, in the space where his laughter used to ring, in the quiet that used to be filled with his voice. But now, everything felt hollow. I hadn’t heard from him since that video, that live confession. And with every passing moment, the silence grew louder, consuming me more and more until I couldn’t tell where I ended and the emptiness began.I sat on the floor in the far corner of my room, my knees drawn up to my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as if I could protect myself from the overwhelming emptiness that consumed me. The walls felt like they were closing in. The quiet, the stillness, it suffocated me. My mind wouldn’t let me escape the thoughts of him. Of what he said. Of what he did. Of what he could have done to escape this nightmare.My heart kept trying to
Aria's POV.I didn’t think. I just ran.My feet slammed against the cold floor of the hallway as I hurtled down the stairs, my heart racing, pounding in chaotic rhythm. It was as though my entire body was trying to escape the terror and helplessness that consumed me, trying to outrun the suffocating fear that had taken over my mind. My thoughts were a blur, a haze of desperate urgency, but they all had one single, overpowering focus: Ryan.I had to find him. I had to stop him.I absolutely don't know where he is or where to find him but one thing was sure, I will get him back.The words from his confession echoed in my head, over and over again: “I’m leaving. I’ll disappear.”No. He couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave me. Not after everything. Not after the bond we shared, the love, the years of quiet, stolen moments that had built up between us. Ryan was my everything. He was my protector, my constant, the one person who had never looked at me with judgment, never turned his back on me,
Aria’s POV. my heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat echoing in my ears like a warning. Something felt wrong... deeply wrong. I couldn't quite place it, but it clawed at my insides. The silence in the house was unnerving, oppressive, like the air itself had thickened. The usual heated house filled with laughter and happiness was absent since the day Ryan and I got outed, but today's emptiness felt different. It was as if the whole house had been drained of sound, leaving behind only an unsettling stillness.My eyes darted nervously over the hallway as I reached Ryan’s door. My hand trembled slightly as I pushed it open, the door creaked softly and I stepped inside, expecting to find him lounging on the bed, headphones in, oblivious to the world as he has been doing since the whole scandal. But when I looked around, my stomach sank.His room was completely… empty.The bed was made finely as though no one has laid on it for a while, the edges of the blanket smooth. The chair at h
Aria's POV.I laid lifelessly on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I could tell my eyes has gotten swollen and red from crying, but no matter how much I tried, the tears wouldn’t stop threatening to spill over again. I curled up tightly under my blanket, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume mr. It's the second day of my suspension and it felt like it had already lasted a lifetime, and the thought of enduring this for two weeks was unbearable.The silence in the house was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. I have been replaying every moment of the ordeal in my mind, trying to understand how things had spiraled so far out of control. I wanted so desperately for things to go back to how they were, to have my parents' love and trust again, and for the world to stop feeling like it was closing in on me. Each time I thought I had run out of tears, a fresh wave of sorrow would crash over me, leaving me sobbing into my pill