(ARIELLE'S POV)The day after a hangover was always brutal—a not-so-gentle reminder that I wasn’t as young as I used to be. As I worked at the restaurant, my back ached in that relentless way it always did these days.When I left, Ashley was still asleep, even snoring a little. Poor thing; she’s really been worn out lately. No wonder every time we chat, she curses her boss like he’s some monster. But when I called him this morning to request a day off for her, his calm, gentle baritone was nothing like the tyrant she described.Imagining her face as she ranted about him, I chuckled.Stephen passed by just then. “Something good, ma’am?” I nodded back, offering him a bright smile of my own. After yesterday’s incident, I felt a little closer to him, though I wasn’t yet used to casual conversations with him.He flushed, muttering something under his breath before hurrying off. His reaction definitely lifted my spirits, and for the first time, it didn’t seem so bad to have a younger guy c
(ARIELLE’S POV) "Arielle, are you alright?" A voice asked, tapping my shoulder. I instantly jolted back to reality to find Rebecca standing by my side, a worried look on her face. "Yes, of course. Why?" She gave me a look that was both sympathetic and full of concern, her eyes soft. "You’ve been zoning out since you got here, Arielle. It’s okay if you’re not okay. You don’t have to pretend." Her words hit me like a wave, and I felt the knot in my chest tighten even further. I hadn’t been myself. Not since the call with Dwayne. His advice, the questions he’d raised—whether to tell Maverick the truth about his father’s identity, or keep it from him… I was still turning it all over in my head. "I’m fine. Really," I forced a smile, trying to brush it off, but I could feel how fake it sounded. Rebecca didn’t buy it. She tilted her head, looking at me carefully. "You’re not fine, boss. You should go get some rest. Really. You’ve been through so much lately. It’s okay to take a break
(JARED'S POV)I had just wrapped up a virtual meeting and was about to dive back into work when Arielle’s call flashed across my screen.The unexpected sight of her name made my heart skip a beat. There was a flicker of hope. Stupid, maybe, considering how firmly she’d shut me out before, but I couldn’t help it. Perhaps this was it. Maybe she had a change of heart. Maybe she was calling to let me meet my son.I know, it sounded foolish. But a man was allowed to dream."Hello," I answered the call, trying to sound casual but I knew it betrayed how my heart was leaping with anticipation.But no amount of preparation could’ve braced me for what I heard next. Her voice—sharp, frantic, panicked—broke through the phone, jagged and hysterical. "Maverick’s missing! Someone took him from school... I thought it was you..."Her words hit me like a gut punch, stealing my breath.I hated hearing her so terrified, so out of control. I immediately tried to calm her, assure her that I hadn’t taken Ma
(JARED’S POV)Denzel Hernandez.The name hit me like a punch to the gut. The last person I wanted to hear from, not when my world was already falling apart. My grip on the phone tightened as anger surged through me—why the hell was he calling now?"Look, I don't know how you got my number, but I don't have time for your silly games," I snapped, ready to press the "end call" button."Oh, don't hang up, Jared," Denzel’s voice was as smooth as ever. "You'll want to hear what I have to say. Trust me on this."“What the hell do you want?”"Well you really should know. There’s a kid with me, I think his name is…Maverick?"My heart slammed against my ribs, the world narrowing to a single point. So it was him."You bastard! What have you done to him?" My voice was low and deadly, barely controlled. My grip on the phone threatened to crush it.“Nothing,” he said coolly. “At least not yet. There’s a small mole on his left earlobe huh?” "Denzel," I said, barely containing the venom in my words.
(JARED'S POV)The engine of my car hummed, my heart churning with dread. I was leaving the city, its bustling ambience now gradually swallowed by the deserted path that led to the warehouse. As I drew nearer, my grip on the steering wheel tightened. This whole thing still didn’t feel right. Some key questions were not answered. But I had no time to dig that deeper, not when it was sure that Maverick was in Dwayne’s hand.Every mile that took me farther from the city felt like a weight dragging me into an abyss. Maverick. His face flashed through my mind. Even though I haven't had the chance to meet him properly as a father, I could tell he was an adorable child.And now he was somewhere out there, in Denzel’s filthy hands.Finally, I arrived and brought the car to a halt as I stared at the warehouse. Momentarily, I took in its dilapidated outlook. Broken windows, rusting metal, and crumbling concrete testified to years of neglect.I tried so hard not to paint a mental picture of Mav
(ARIELLE’S POV)I sat huddled on the couch in the dimly lit living room downstairs, my heart pounding in my chest, my hands trembling so violently I could barely hold them still. Thirty hours. Thirty hours since the last time I saw my son, and I hadn’t slept a minute. Not a single second of rest had come, no matter how heavy my eyelids felt or how desperately I tried to will myself into unconsciousness.Ashley sat beside me, her presence a small comfort in the sea of anxiety. She had rushed down to be with me the moment I made a distressed call to her. She kept trying to console me, but her words barely broke through the suffocating fog of dread that gripped my heart. Together, we've sat, praying and waiting for feedback from Jared. Every minute felt like a year, and each second without news from Jared gnawed at my soul."What if he's not able to save my son?" I asked, turning to face Ashley. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get rid of the feeling of dread and fear brewing
ARIELLE'S POV)It's been days since the kidnap incident, and I'd been trying to move on, getting back to my life. Though the experience still lingered, I took preventive measures to ensure it didn't repeat itself. I’d taken the week off, leaving the restaurant in the capable hands of Stephan and Rebecca. They’d managed everything flawlessly, for which I was endlessly grateful. First, I took Maverick to the doctor the very next day. The relief I felt when I was assured he was physically unharmed was immeasurable. Next, I made him talk to a children’s therapist—just to be certain the experience hadn’t left any invisible scars. Thankfully, the therapist was confident Maverick wasn’t traumatized. My son, it seemed, was stronger than I could have ever imagined. My heart swelled with pride.Then came the hard part: security. I enforced stricter measures, something I’d once resisted for fear of making Maverick feel trapped. From now on, only his Nana, Big Joe, or I would pick him up from
(ARIELLE'S POV) Maverick’s curiosity was boundless, and Jared answered each of his questions with a patience that somehow irritated and intrigued me. But then Maverick dropped a bombshell. "Dad, will you stay the night?" Maverick asked, his eyes gleaming expectantly. Heat shot up my face, and when I glanced at Jared, he looked just as caught off guard, his brows arching in surprise. "Maverick, that's enough questions for now," I said firmly, after regaining composure. But he persisted. "Please Daddy." Jared's eyes met mine, and I could see the uncertainty in them. "Maverick, listen to your Mommy," he said gently, supporting me for once. “Why not, Daddy? I just want to spend more time with you. Please, Mom?” Maverick’s pleading tone was starting to break my resolve. At this point, I knew I had to put a stop to his questions else we might get to an awkward position. "Maverick, we're still eating. Let's talk about this later, okay?" Jared quickly nodded in agreement. "Ye
(ARIELLE’S POV.) His words hung in the air. He leaned in a little closer, his expression intense. I could feel my cheeks flush, and I hated myself for it. His words were like an emotional punch to the gut, stirring up feelings I wasn’t ready to face.I watched him carefully as he waited for my reaction, searching my eyes like he was looking for some sign of hope.Finally, I exhaled, a deep sigh escaping me. “If that’s all, Jared… You can leave now.”I was stunned by the calmness of my own voice. But my reaction pales in comparison to Jared’s look of confusion. He was in utter shock. He narrowed his eyes at me as if focusing on me would wake him up from an ugly trance.His face was the literal picture of shock, his eyes wide as saucers, his lips hanging apart from each other as he stared at me.His eyebrows knitted in frustration. “Why? What do you mean, Arielle? Did you hear a word of all I just said? I explained everything clearly!”I nodded as impassively as possible, my hands clas
(ARIELLE’S POV.)I could feel the heat of both Stephen’s and Rebecca’s gazes on me. “Is any of that really necessary?” I asked, a frown pulling at my lips. Mixing business with personal life was a line I didn’t like to cross. Especially not with Jared, who clearly had an agenda.Jared straightened his tie, not missing a beat. “What’s more relatable than real life?” he replied smoothly, eyes flicking to me for just a second too long. “Of course, the examples I gave are purely hypothetical,” he added, the subtle emphasis making it clear he knew exactly what he was insinuating.Sometimes it’s just that hard to resist the urge to snap. Everyone here knew what he was indicating when he talked about marriage! “Let’s break it down.” he continued, ignoring my killing glare, “In any successful marriage, there’s a constant ebb and flow of communication—much like any thriving business. If one partner isn’t speaking up about their needs, or worse, if they're not listening, the entire foundation
(ARIELLE’S POV.)The air around grew awkwardly thin and very silent. Neither of us knew how best to react to the situation. I looked around the parking lot for no reason in particular, marking the time until it was okay for me to leave without looking any silly than I felt for walking up to their car to begin with. Tiana looked even more flustered than I imagined I’d appeared before them. Jared’s lips were drawn in a stiff line.“Arielle.. we umm.. I .. Good morning,” he managed to find his voice with a terrible stutter.“I guess we’ll just continue this conversation when you return,” Tiana shrugged with a placating smile.Jared ignored her comment and climbed down from the car. He had a stern face when he spoke up again. “I’ve just ordered you a ride, Tiana. Go back home.”I took the hint and excused myself from the side of the car. Jared fell into stride beside me as we walked across the parking lot to the entrance of my restaurant.“...Hi,” Jared tried to start a conversation. But
"Mommy, you seem really happy about work lately," Maverick said, his voice filled with curiosity. "What's going on?"I blinked, taken aback by his sudden observation. We were in the car, on the way to school, and I hadn’t expected such an out-of-the-blue question from him.I hadn't even realized that I'd been so obvious, but I guess it was hard to hide my happiness. I'd been feeling enthusiastic and optimistic since my meeting with Jared these days, and it seemed like Maverick had picked up on it.Do these two have a father-son psychic link or something?Hesitating, I tried to decide on how much to say and reveal to him because the young man wouldn't let me be unless I gave him an answer. He was already staring at me expectantly with those large innocent eyes."Oh it’s just business stuff, sweetie," I said casually, trying to brush it off. "I’m working on some new projects, and they’re going well."But he didn't look convinced, his eyes piercing into mine, as he tried to probe more i
(ARIELLE'S POV)After Stephen blushed and promised he wouldn’t disrupt the class again, Jared finally let him go with a scowl that could melt steel.I tried to keep it together while Stephen showered me with compliments. Honestly, it was nice to hear, but after a while, it started getting a little embarrassing.I glanced at Jared, who was practically fuming at Stephen's over-the-top behavior. He looked like he might explode at any second."Okay, let’s focus," I said quickly, cutting off Stephen mid-praise. "Jared, please continue.""Right, of course," he muttered, clearly trying to pull himself together. "So, Arielle, what are your goals for the restaurant?"I hesitated a bit, feeling a flutter in my chest. I hadn't expected him to ask the question as it seemed somewhat personal to me. "Well, my goal is to make the restaurant successful, of course," I said, a little weary.His brow arched as he gave me a pointed look. "That’s a pretty general answer. Can you be more specific? What do
(JARED'S POV)I smirked inwardly as Arielle gave in. I shouldn’t be so quick to admit it, but her reluctant response was like music to my ears.Of course, my real motive was far from what she thought it was. It was far simpler than she could ever guess.I just wanted to be close to her again. To create chances for us to be alone, to feel that spark between us once more.Yeah, I knew. I’d always been a little silly that way.Even seeing her irritated face, the way her eyes flashed with that familiar fire, made something warm spread through me. There was a certain comfort in it. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed seeing that side of her—the side that wasn’t guarded, that wasn’t numb from years of hurt. The side of her that used to laugh at my dumb jokes and argue with me about everything, even the smallest things.I almost forgot that I hadn’t slept all night.I’d been stewing over every misunderstanding and every word we’d exchanged these days, all night. And in the end, I realized
(ARIELLE'S POV) After a complicated, chaotic day, I finally managed to get some barely decent sleep and was ready to start the new day with a solid dose of confidence. No more chaos. No more emotional turmoil! At least, that was the plan… Until... “Explain. This.” That was the first sentence out of my mouth this morning, my teeth practically grinding as I stared at the scene in front of me. There, on my desk, was a bunch of lavender. And sitting in my chair, my ex-husband. After our encounter yesterday, I had assumed that that would be the last I'd see of him until Maverick's Open house party in two weeks! "What the hell are you doing in my office?" No wonder Rebecca had given me that smug smile on my way in earlier, and now I understood why! Jared glanced up from the business reports he was casually flipping through, looking annoyingly cool and too handsome for his own good. "You're late," he said simply, like he belonged there, behind my desk. I took a deep breath, try
(ARIELLE'S POV)As I approached my car, I couldn't help but scan my surroundings, half–expecting to see Ashley lingering nearby. But she was nowhere to be found, and I didn't blame her. With her encounter with Jared earlier, staying back was not exactly a good option.As I slipped into the driver's seat, I made a mental note to call her as I got home, just to make sure she made it to hers safely. I started the car's engine afterward, and began my drive home. The roads were quiet, the only sound emanating, that of my car's engine, and the occasional passing cars. I tried to focus on the road ahead, but my mind kept drifting back to Jared.His words still stung, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of hurt every time I thought about it. Why had he said he loved me, only to call it bluff moments later? I replayed the conversation in my head, trying to make sense of it all. I sighed, my head a myriad of emotions. When could he stop being so childish?I was angry at Jared for toying wi
(JARED’S POV)I looked into Arielle’s eyes intently, my chest rising and falling heavily with effort as the rest of the world went silent around us. She looked at me, her breathing matching mine—barely existent, all withdrawn because of the shock of my outburst. All I could hear were my own thoughts, racing."Sorry," I muttered quickly. "It just... came out.""Why apologize for saying you love me?" she asked, her voice quiet but sharp. "And for real—why do you suddenly love me now?"I was taken aback, choked with confusion. What was she saying?But then, she averted her gaze, refusing to meet my eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself, as the cold evening breeze swept over us. I looked up at the sky, realizing just how much time had passed since we started this conversation."Look at how much time has passed," I said softly, then quickly took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.“No, thank you.”Her honest rejection stung, but I forced a smile, nodding in understanding.