The rest of the day passed peacefully and beautifully at a local park with a small lake and plenty of grassy areas to run around. Despite Karl's occasional flares of jealousy whenever Tyler monopolized too much of my attention, the young boy's bright energy and excitement over every little thing—chasing after ducks, climbing on the play structures, and going for a ride on the paddle boats—lightened the mood considerably. His youthful zest for life and finding magic in the mundane was utterly infectious.As the sun began to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange, pink and purple, we reluctantly headed back to the Sullivan family home where we were staying for the weekend visit. Karl carried a sleeping Tyler up the driveway and into the house. The poor little guy was utterly tuckered out from our active day. Kelly looked up from where she was setting the table when we entered through the kitchen."Is he finally out?" she asked with a warm smile, referring to her s
I woke up feeling wrapped up in the comforting cocoon of Karl's strong arms. My head was pillowed on his bare chest, rising and falling gently with each deep breath he took. Despite the intense passion we had shared last night, there was a sense of utter peace and tranquility in the air now. I traced idle patterns across the smooth skin of his torso, just enjoying the quiet intimacy of lying tangled up together."Are we heading back home tomorrow?" I murmured. Karl nodded against the back of my head. "Yeah, we'll hit the road first thing tomorrow morning," he replied, his voice still husky with sleep. "Did you have a good time here?"I nodded. As much as I loved our life back home, there was something about this place that I would always miss. "It's going to be hard to leave again," I admitted softly, making a move to get up. Karl's palm tightened in a loose grip around my wrist before I could untangle myself, keeping me there. "How about we shower together before we go?
I was awakened by Karl peppering kisses all over my face the next morning. "Mmph...good morning to you too," I grumbled, trying to burrow further under the covers."Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" he crooned against my cheek. "Time to start the day."I groaned in protest. "It's barely even light out yet. Give me like, five more minutes?"Karl chuckled against my ear. "Alright, alright, you get a short snooze extension. But only five minutes!" True to his word, Karl was back trying to rouse me what felt like thirty seconds later, nuzzling along my jawline."Okay, up and at 'em now, baby. Don't make me resort to more...extreme wake-up tactics," he warned playfully.I cracked one eye open and glared at him halfheartedly. "Ugh, you're the worst. I'm getting up, I'm getting up!"He grinned unrepentantly before hopping out of bed. "I'll jump in the shower first if you want to sleep a little longer. Just don't go back into a coma on me.""Yeah, yeah, I'll be up before you're done," I
We were greeted with curious looks and murmurs as we made our way hand-in-hand through the sleek office lobby. I felt my nerves returning full force, my palm growing slick against Karl's grip."Just stay calm, baby," he murmured under his breath. "They're just wondering what the CEO's wife is doing here, that's all."Before I could respond, a young woman who looked to be around my age approached us with a polite smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Sullivan," she said warmly. It's wonderful to have you join us here. I'm Jenna, Mr. Sullivan's executive assistant. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything at all."Her friendly, down-to-earth demeanor immediately put me at ease. "It's very nice to meet you, Jenna," I replied, shaking her proffered hand. "And please, call me Lavinia.""Lavinia it is," she agreed with a grin before turning her attention to Karl. "Sir, your 9 o'clock video conference is all set up whenever you're ready.""Thank you, Jenna. You're a gem, as al
A few days passed and it was finally time for Karl to reveal everything. I sat alone in the living room, my anxiety growing as I waited for Karl's return. I nervously bit my nails, fearing that the truth he was about to reveal might disrupt my carefully laid plans.Karl had left for his psychiatrist's office two hours ago. “Hey, babe!” His familiar voice rang. He was finally back. I made a beeline for him as soon as our gazes connected, desperate to finally find out the truth.He greeted me with a slight smile and spread out his arms as if inviting me into his warmth. I hugged him tightly, feeling anticipation and anxiety."You know I love you. Well then, it's time for you to know the whole truth," he said, leading me to the couch while holding my hand. "Are you ready?""Of course. Please begin already," I said impatiently. Karl sighed. "Do you recall when I came clean to you about how I felt all those years ago?" I was puzzled about what he had just said, as seen
"Looking back," Karl began. His gaze was distant as he recounted his story, "Your insult was difficult for me to accept because I loved you so much. It's challenging, trust me. You could have turned me down in a more sympathetic manner, or at least not in public. It really stung that you made fun of me."I listened intently without knowing what to say. I felt at a loss for words. "Was it to further ridicule and degrade me when you posted the video of my confession to that group?" Karl's voice carried a tone of anger and clenched his fists. I shook my head again in denial. "That wasn’t me. I had no idea they had taken the footage, believe me. It was only by chance that I learned about it, and at that point, I demanded they remove it."I stretched out and gripped his chin, bringing our eyes which were filled with anguish into closer to one another."I can't tell you how many messages I got at the time, all of them making fun of me."Karl placed my hand in his palm as though look
I ran around like a madwoman, trying to get my earrings in while simultaneously checking myself out in the mirror. "Ugh, I look like an absolute disaster," I muttered, struggling to smooth down my wild hair and straighten my rumpled blouse. My reflection stared back at me, looking more frazzled than I felt."Well, you're a hot mess if you ask me," Karl's voice came from behind, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I spun around to see him leaning casually against the doorframe with an infuriatingly cocky grin of his. His arms were folded across his broad chest. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, one that I knew all too well."Damn it, Karl, we're already running so ridiculously late because of your shenanigans this morning," I scolded, trying my best to look stern despite the heat rising in my cheeks. My mind flashed back to the way he had me pinned beneath him just an hour earlier.Karl sauntered over with his devilish smirk still playing on his lips. He snaked
I found Robert nursing a cup of coffee at a secluded corner booth, looking utterly distraught and miserable. My heart clenched at the sight of my normally vibrant younger brother in such a state. "Oh Rob, what's the matter?" I asked softly, sliding into the seat across from him.He blew out a frustrated breath and stared dejectedly down into his mug. "You know how much I want to do music, Lav. How I've never had any desire to work for Dad's precious company like he's always wanted..." Robert's voice was thick with barely contained emotion. "Well, I finally worked up the courage to tell him that once and for all. And he just...he absolutely lost his freaking mind when I said I'm not going to join the family business."My heart sank, knowing all too well how viciously our hot-tempered father could lash out when angered. I reached across the table to give Robert's hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Rob. You know Dad can be a real asshole sometime