POPPY:"Bastian…he is Nolan," I informed, dropping off any honorifics. It may have reached him that I wanted him to play along so he just did not say anything to correct my earlier statement. "Nolan is my ex-husband...you've met before. Right?"It took longer before I got a reply from Sebastian. "His face is familiar."I was expecting he would correct my lies, but he did not. I secretly sighed in relief. Glad he continued playing along or I would be busted. Using my index finger, I rubbed my nose. "Yes. You two met before, Bastian.""Mr. Holding," Nolan started as he held his hand as he waited for Sebastian to accept his hand for a handshake. "It's...nice to meet you. I heard so much from you."Sebastian Holding stared at Nolan's awaiting hand, with no plans of shaking it, and returned his gaze to me. Humiliated, Nolan's cheeks tinted with red, and dropped his hands to the side. "I came to visit, Mr. Holding," Nolan informed. "I already saw and talked to my daughter."It disgust
POPPY:Marry me...The words had been ringing in my mind for quite some time and until now, I could not fathom why he asked me. No. He ordered me to marry him as if marrying someone was a simple thing to do. "Marry you?" I inquired, my brows forming a straight line. I think I heard something wrong because that's the only explanation I have as of now as to why Sebastian Holding wanted to ask my hand in marriage. The only one he wanted was to marry Olivia Green for his ambition. Or maybe a little bit of love. But marrying me? That was a bit unexpected and questionable. Why would he fucking want to marry me? I was completely useless to him. But if he wants someone to cook him a delicious meal, then that would be my purpose. But marriage? Wait. Was this the end of the world?"Could you ask it again, Mr. Holding? I think I heard wrong."There was no hint of a smile on his face as I continued watching him. He was serious about that?My head started to spin. I think I needed to drink wa
POPPY:I wonder what had happened when Sebastian Holding went to Olivia's house. It seemed like the tide had been switched. His desire to marry Olivia Green was like a fire being extinguished. "Mr. Holding.""What?""You seemed so sure of not hurting Olivia Green by offering me this marriage, Mr. Holding."Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "You seemed too concerned about her even if you two are not related at all."I shrugged my shoulders. I just…could not understand how he changed his mind that easily…except if one of them both cheated. Was it Sebastian? There was no way Olivia Green cheated. She loved Mr. Holding more than her life. Or maybe Sebastian Holding liked men? The thought of him loving a man was unsettling. Some part of me did not want to accept. "I'm a fan, Sebastian. A fan always wanted her favorite to always be happy. Olivia Green is one of my favorite actresses. Been dying to get a hold of her autograph.""They're only people," he muttered flatly. My eyes turned into sl
POPPY:Suddenly, Mr. Holding's laughter filled the four walls. It was a hearty laugh as if he was indeed amazed at my previous statement.My brows formed in a straight line as I continued listening to his laughter. But in all fairness, his laughter was like a lullaby in my ears. Sebastian Holding was the type of man who thought that the world was against him and that even smiling was a waste of his time. I sighed internally.If he only laughed like this, then I would be falling for him…Wait what? What kind of thoughts were that? Why would I fall for him because he laughed? It’s not like this was the first time I've seen a man laugh. Ridiculous. Being always with him made me think of silly thoughts.“F-Falling for you?” he asked, again and snorted. What's so bad about saying he must not fall for me? He always said not to fall for him so why did it sound funny when it came to him?I felt slightly offended at his reaction.Lips pressed in a thin line, I asked, "What's funny, Sebastia
POPPY:My mouth tingled, still feeling the feel of Sebastian's mouth against mine. My heart raced uncontrollably as if it was being chased by a tiger. As if taunting me, his eyes lingered on my lips, and smirked. "You liked it," he said and grazed his fingertips along my jawline. A shiver ran down my spine.I don't like to be touched! Why did my body move on their own? This was embarrassing! He might think I liked it. "I-I did not!" I denied it like crazy, stepping back away from him. "In your dreams! Your kiss felt like I was kissing a slimy and wriggling toad!"I never bothered to hide Sebastian how repulsed I was when he kissed me. But the man shrugged it off. Unbothered. "A toad? I looked better than that, Poppy. You exaggerated a lot."I folded my arms in front of my chest. "You are, Sebastian!" I pointed my fingers at him. "Don't you dare do it again, Sebastian. Unless it is necessary!" I demanded. "I don't want anyone to kiss me. Much even from you!""You did ask for proof.
POPPY:I was holding my breath for quite some time, and I did not realize I was doing it as I waited for Kelly's reaction. What if she wanted Mr. Holding at first and then not like him again? Damn. That could create a problem. "Love?" Sebastian and I shared a look. The more Kelly stared at us, the more I became nervous. She blinked a couple of times while her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why are you two getting married, Mommy? Are you pregnant?"I was frozen for a moment. Pregnant? Why would I be pregnant? I wasn't touched by a man. “Am I going to have a baby sister or a baby brother now?” she continued. I chuckled nervously and exhaled a sigh of relief. At least she did not say she was against me marrying Sebastian Holding. Although thinking I was pregnant was not something I also liked. "Love. Being pregnant is not the only reason why people get married." I shifted my gaze at Sebastian and cleared my throat. "Sometimes...all it takes will be two people falling for each ot
POPPY:I stared at my phone as if Christy would come out of it. What just happened? I never expected that Christy would turn off the phone that quickly. She never does that. Whatever. As long as she got the message. I will grill her with questions when I am vacant. That settled it then. I was done informing Christy. Now…who would I call next?Sebastian?Ah, right. Reminded that I still haven’t got the exact address, I fished out my phone from my pocket and messaged Mr. Holding. No. It should be my soon-to-be husband. After typing the message, I hit send.While waiting for his reply, I picked out the box and opened it. I sighed softly when I saw the intricate designs of flowers embroidered. I only saw this kind of wedding dress on national television. Thus were the kind of dresses I wanted to have when I had my wedding. How did Sebastian Holding find out I liked this kind of design? That man never failed to amaze me. I looked at the tag and my eyes widened when I read J. Cruz
POPPY:I can't fucking move my legs as my panic continued kicking in. The guests were looking at me with weird looks and they were not helping at all. They looked like evil clowns in front of us holding a bloody knives in an attempt to hurt me. Was it because of anxiety or nervousness? And of all the right timing, why did it have to be now? I usually felt this whenever I was feeling an intense emotion and I could not even control this. "Miss Poppy?" Mr. Willis was already showing his concern. He nudged my elbow, but I won’t budge. “Miss Poppy? Do you want me to inform Bastian that you’re not feeling well?”Mr. Willis’s voice seemed distant. Out of reach. My breath was sharp and fast. Fuck.Inhale, exhale. You can do this, Poppy. You can fucking do this!In front, Sebastian's brows furrowed and the older man who looked like him was also bothered. The singer continued singing and everyone was already looking at me. Confused. This was so embarrassing! Sebastian was regal and compo
85POPPY:Realization dawned on me.Mother was right.I was punishing Sebastian for his past which he did not do when we were together. He impregnated Olivia before we met, and he did not even know me by then.Tears swam in my eyes.Stupid. I was stupid.Now, I realize what I just did. “Mom. Is it okay if I return to the city? I have to apologize to my husband.”Mother smiled and brushed my cheeks using her fingertips. “Why does it feel as if it will be a long time before you will be back again, Poppy?”“I’m so sorry, Mom. Now that you have accepted us again, I will always visit you and Dad.”I inhaled deeply as the pain slowly lifted.I could not wait to go back to the mansion and talk to Sebastian.“I’m going to miss you, too.”“I will always call, Mom. I will just wait for Kelly, and I will tell her of my plans.”“She will be happy. She always asks about her daddy. Your second husband, I mean.”“She was completely smitten by him.”“The child knows a real man who will make you happ
POPPY:Do you know what's the most painful thing? It's the fact that Sebastian was not doing anything just to stop me as I grabbed my things and Kelly. He just stood there leaning on the door, like a robot watching me pack my things. And he claimed he loved me?Bullshit!Damn it!Why did I believe in his lies, anyway? He never loved me from the start. He was only forced to. And now that he had a child with his own seed, he can do anything he wants like tossing me aside. From all the packing down to grabbing Kelly, I was glad I never shed a single tear. If I did, it would be embarrassing on my part."Honey…" Sebastian started as I went out of our room while grabbing Kelly and my bag in both hands. "We only arrived. Kelly and your body are tired from the trip. Please think of the child.""You cannot stop me from doing this, Sebastian," I exclaimed while hardening my heart in the process. I forced myself to make my expression blank and cold as it was so that he would see that I was al
POPPY:From the look on his face, he was silently telling me not to tell his father about it. I did not get how he wanted to keep it to ourselves since having a baby was the only requirement left. I wanted to believe that it had something to do with his feelings, but if I expected more than that, I was scared that I would only be hurt in the end.“Anyone who wanted to answer me?” Arnold asked as his gaze kept on switching sides between me and Sebastian. “Poppy?”“Dad. I believe it’s my husband who has the right to tell you about it.”“Why is that?” he asked as his brows formed a straight line. “Son. Is there anything you want to say? Am I expecting a grandchild soon? A simple yes or no would suffice.”Yeah. A grandchild who would be the next heir of the Holdings. The child that Olivia and Sebastian badly wanted. And during that time, I would be kicked out of the equations. I would be tossed aside like a piece of rag. Together with my daughter.Oh, God.Why did I bring my daughter in
POPPY:“Can you please read the message? I can’t do that especially when I am driving.”A muscle ticked in my eyes. “Are you freaking kidding me, Sebastian?”His brows furrowed.“What’s wrong?”“What’s your intention of letting me read the message? What are you trying to prove, huh?”“Honey. I meant no harm, okay? I just wanted you to read the message. I’m driving. What makes it difficult to understand?”“You know Olivia will text you, right?”“Was it her?”“Who else? She won’t stop saying you should divorce me.”“That’s not going to happen. It’s you I love. Not here. So please stop getting jealous, okay? You’re the only woman I love, Poppy. No one else.”That was supposed to pacify me, but it did not. Right now, I was still irritated at Sebastian, and I did not know how long it would last. I hated this feeling. It brought me back to my previous relationship. Of how I was jealous of any woman who was near to my ex-husband only to find out in the end that I have the right to be jealous
POPPY:I was kind of expecting that it was indeed the result, but it was different from hearing it directly in Olivia’s mouth. She was too proud about it, making me feel as if she was better than me, although there was no point in proving it.I was nothing compared to her. She was an actress. Rich. Talented. You name it. While I was a simple mother who wanted only the best for her child. “The look on your face says it all. You also know that the child is from Bastian.”“So what? You’re all talk, Olivia. Give me the papers.” She shoved it on my chest. “How rude.”Checking, I pulled out the paper inside the envelope and read the contents.Ninety-point nine percent. The child was Sebastian. He was the father of Olivia’s child.My knees almost gave out. Not from the shock. But it was more than that. “See? I have given him a child first. Bastian should be mine.”I showed her our wedding ring. “Oops. He married me first.”“I don’t believe the results,” Sebastian exclaimed all of a sudden
POPPY:Our stay in the resort was eventful. Sebastian toured us at the resort and introduced us to his family. The maids and all the maintenance staff were happy to see us and congratulated us. He made sure that we were taken care of. And then the next thing I knew, we would be returning to the mansion which I did not want to happen. It was too soon. I was not even satisfied yet. “Are we really going back?” I asked Sebastian while folding Kelly’s clothes. “I wanted to stay here a little longer.”The corner of his lips lifted. “Do you really want to stay because of that, or was it another reason?” he teased. My cheeks burned in embarrassment, remembering our sweet time together. Especially on the beach. It was only at three o’clock in the morning when we returned to our room. True to his words, Sebastian had emptied all the condoms and promised to buy another pocket if I wanted to. And then when Kelly was not inside the room, we took a shower together and made love again inside.
Warning: Sexual content ahead.------------------POPPY:We are free to do whatever we want, huh?Pinching the bridge of Sebastian’s nose, I asked, “Do you know that you sounded like a devil right now tempting me like this?”The corner of his lips lifted.“Am I? That’s my plan, Poppy.”“Yes. Why are you tempting me like this, Sebastian? Is it really true that I’m the only woman you brought here in this—”The words died in my mouth when he suddenly kissed me fully.I groaned as I tasted the strawberry taste of his lips against my mouth. Sparks exploded between us. Lips against lips. Mouth against mouth. It seemed like our lips were battling and no one wanted to lose. Using my lips, I showed him how much I longed for him. My longing for him was evident in how I kissed him. How I snaked my arms around his neck, bringing me closer to my body. Hardness against softness. He was all muscles while I was the complete opposite.My hands found his hair and pulled him toward me.“Give everything
POPPY: The rest of the day flew fast.Kelly and I enjoyed the resort a lot. Sebastian never left my side and did not even glance at his phone for any updates from his secretary. And if someone was calling him, I would remind him to answer the phone since he would only let it ring. But then he will just kiss me and say that it can wait. He wanted to focus his time on us and added that today was a family day. He won’t allow anyone to waste this time over some unimportant things.For Sebastian Holding, work was always important but when he said it could wait, my heart was filled with overflowing happiness. “And they lived happily ever after,” I said, reading the book which I bought. Kelly was already fast asleep. After reading for almost an hour, she was fast asleep. I was able to finish three books in a row when she was not yet satisfied with one book alone.Kelly stirred in her sleep and the blanket fell below.I pulled it upward until it reached her chin, then pressed a kiss on her
POPPY:I held my breath as Sebastian kept on staring at me, not even stopping the wind as when my hair danced along with it. The feeling of the rough texture of the sand entering my shoes tickled my feet.“Poppy. Do you want to spend your life with me?” Sebastian asked again when I did not answer.I wanted to scream yes! I would definitely say yes! I’ve been loving this man for quite some time now and now that he was offering an eternity with him, who was I to say no?An opportunity to spend the rest of our lives together? That would be fantastic. But what about Olivia Green? Images of her heavily pregnant belly while tears rolled down from her eyes flashed in my mind. It felt like tiny needles were being stabbed in my chest.Yeah. Olivia Green. Getting drunk with Sebastian’s offer to be with him was already too good to be true. Accept him, Poppy, my mind urged. How long will you keep on thinking about someone else’s happiness, Poppy? Why can’t you think of your own happiness, hu