Emily's POV.I couldn't hold back the huge grin dancing all over my face as I carefully lifted my little baby, while Adrian lifted the other.Not that there was an occasion or anything but over the past week, I have been so overwhelmed with the pleasure of birthing two beautiful babies, that I can't go an hour without lifting them in my arms.Adrian seemed to feel exactly the same way, if not more excited than I was. He hasn't left the house since my delivery, and despite how important most of his business meetings were, he had them all canceled. I tried to talk him into resuming work since I was strong enough to care for them, and Helen was present too with the rest of the house workers but Adrian's mind was already made up. I watched in admiration as he swaddled the baby in his arms, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, while humming a soothing lullaby as he began to rock her in his chest. I followed his movement as I wrapped my little boy in my arms, rocking him gently. Someh
Liam's POV.Few months had rolled by quickly and I found myself wishing that each day that passes would turn out to be Nichole's delivery date.I desperately needed her out of my house as soon as possible, seeing her reminded me so much about the biggest mistake of my lifetime. One that seemed impossible to correct now. Emily.I doubt if I will ever set my eyes on her again, not speaking of correcting the mistakes I have made with her. It sounded so terribly heartbreaking when anyone referred to her as my ex-wife. It felt surreal, but then whenever I remembered how quickly and cruelly I had served her those divorce papers, it reminded me how real it was and how perfectly I deserved the pangs of pain I felt each time thoughts of her flashed through my head.But then, I haven't given up on her search yet.Once in a while, I contacted every private search agency that I got a whiff of to secretly search through the country and the neighboring countries as well, and even though they al
Liam's POV."She's in labor," I screamed at the midwives immediately I carried her into the hospital.I quickly dropped her to her feet and the midwives gathered around her, leading her towards an empty ward.Seeing that I no longer had a business there, I turned around to leave."Liam," I halted on my spot as I heard her call out to me."Huh?""Don't go," she muttered.Without saying a word to her, I turned to face the head midwife. "Take care of her." And with that, I turned around and stormed out. I walked back to my car, I was about to climb in when another car drove roughly towards me and came to a halt right beside me. I quickly recognized the car to be my mom's. I had called her while driving Nichole to the hospital. Her help will be greatly needed as I knew nothing about this. "Liam," she called as soon as she climbed down from the car, rushing towards me. "Mom,""Where is she?""She's been taken into the ward for delivery," I replied. "Alright, let's go," she turned aro
Liam's POV.A month flew by, with Nichole still at my house, with the baby.As much as I tried to be accommodating towards her and the baby, my emotions failed me. I was literally living my worst life and I couldn't take it anymore. "Nichole, do you have a minute?" I asked walking into her room."Yes, please sit," "I'd rather stand," I replied.I watched as her face crumpled into a frown."I have gotten a place for you, well furnished, it's a conducive environment to raise our child," I began."What? We are living just fine here," she chirped in."Nichole, we are not married, you can't live here,""But I thought..." "That I will decide to marry you once you bear a child for me? Is that what you thought?" I cut her off quickly."Liam...""I'm not getting married to you Nichole, I will take full responsibility for my child and I'll try to visit as frequently as I can,""Please don't do this Liam," tears rolled down her cheeks. "I will have the house keepers get your things ready to
Emily POV."Ryan, stop letting your sister take the lead purposely!" I yelled from where I sat, watching them play so lovingly. Ryan, who has seen his sister's countenance change as he continued winning her, now purposely fell back and let her take the lead. He loved her that much.I can't believe it's been two years already, watching them all grown now brought tears to my eyes. Now, I barely remember the pain from my terrible past because my beautiful set of twins has a way of wiping those ugly memories away, the sight of them alone filled my heart with so much joy. How time really flies. Adrian and I had jointly come up with their names. Ryan and Nadia. Ryan loves his sister so much, that he will protect her with everything and the same goes with Nadia. That was possible because they were raised in love and compassion and it gladdened my heart to see them grow with the morals that Adrian and I instilled in them.Adrian has been the absolute best, he provided the kids with everyth
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
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