Emily's POV.Adrian and I walked side by side as we walked into the building, my heart racing with excitement and anticipation. It had been a few weeks since I started working at Adrian's company, but I still felt the same rush of pride every time I stepped foot inside the building.The air today seemed to hum with energy and possibility, the smell of coffee wafted through the air, mingling with the faint voices from nearby offices. I had a meeting scheduled in few minutes time, making it my second business since I started working here. Thankfully, I was beginning to get used to it and the nervousness has flown out of the room."You're going to be great as usual, Emily," Adrian said as we approached the elevator, giving my arm a gentle squeeze. "Thanks Adrian," I flashed him a warm smile. "You don't know how glad I am that I'm finally doing this,""Well, enjoy it while it lasts my lady, you have barely two months before you wrap it up for the baby," he teased. "Don't be such a spo
Emily's POV.My gaze on him intensified as the words left his mouth.I was taken aback by his invitation, my thoughts racing. It was inappropriate and unprofessional to leave the conference room without finalizing the business. But on the other hand, he seemed harmless, and judging off the fact that he was coming from the connners of Mrs Marilyn, what could possibly go wrong?"That doesn't entirely sound bad," I said, my voice hesitant. "But I'm not sure if that's appropriate, given that we're still in the middle of a business meeting."Tyson waved his hands in the air, indicating that it wasn't a problem."We are only going to continue the discussion, Miss Emily, you have nothing to worry about," his voice was quite persuasive. "Besides, it's important for colleagues to get to know each other outside of the boardroom, don't you think?"I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded afterwards "I guess you aren't wrong," A warm smile spread out on his face "Great," he said, standing up.
Tyson looked up at him, a look of confusion on his face. "Is there a problem?" he asked, his voice friendly but questioning.Adrian stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Yes, there's a problem," he said. "You can't just take my employee out for lunch without my permission. What kind of game are you playing here?"I quickly stepped between them, my hands raised in a calming gesture.I was taken aback by Adrian's anger. "Adrian, I'm sorry if this seems inappropriate," I began, trying so hard to sound convincing. "But I assure you, it's purely business, Mr Tyson has expressed interest in my marketing campaign, and thought it would be a good opportunity to discuss it in a more informal setting."Adrian looked skeptical, his eyes darting between me and Tyson. "And what's your interest in this, Mr Tyson?" he asked, his tone still suspicious.Tyson's expression was calm, his eyes narrowed slightly. "My interest is solely in Emily's work, and nothing else," he said, his voice level and clear.
Emily's POV. "It hurts to see you go without me," I pouted as I walked with him out of the house, as we approached his car.I had stopped going to the office few months ago as my delivery date was due and truly, it hurts to see him go to work every day without me. I was already bored staying home and doing nothing. The few months I have worked for his company has marked nothing but remarkable achievements.I've bagged so many contracts that no one else except Adrian could.According to them, I had a way of presenting my proposals that couldn't be refused even if they wanted to.In my few months in office, my name has spread through the business world like wild fire, it felt like a fairytale and everyone wanted to have a share of me.Mrs Marilyn's contract still remained the biggest that the company has witnessed in history, and Adrian couldn't be more grateful to me. I was glad that I was able make out something meaningful out of my stay in London, and also sort of pay Adrian back
Emily's POV. "Please hold on, we will soon be there," Helen tried to console me as we drove to the clinic.Eric drove into the clinic building with a loud screeching noise.He pulled the door to my side of the car open and yet again, scooped me into his arms, hurrying into the building. As soon as we were closer, the midwives who had sighted us from afar quickly ran towards us, and helped us in."Hold still please, this is going to be a lot easier if you hold on strong," the chief midwife said, helping me to lay on the bed.The rest of the midwives gathered around us with different equipment which I assumed was for childbirth.Helen was allowed in as well. My heart skipped as the midwife began to stretch my thighs wide apart.This is really happening. I'm about to become a mother."Emily listen, you have to be strong for this, don't be scared, okay?" I nodded slowly. "You are tensed, you don't have to be, relax your body so it would be easier for us," she continued. "Helen, I'm
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
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