But I didn't say a word, I merely led her to the car I arrived in, opening the door for her. As she settled in, I got into the driver's seat and turned in the car's engine. This wasn't over. We'd talk about the car later, but for now, I just wanted to ensure she was safe. The drive home was in
(JARED'S POV) I blinked and went over the headline again, ensuring I was not reading wrong. But the words did not go away. They were there, as bold as ever. Then I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze down to the picture below, and my breath hitched. It was her. Arielle. The same lady at the airpor
(ARIELLE'S POV)It was my first day back since returning home, and a sense of excitement and nervousness buzzed under my skin. Today, I’d be visiting my restaurant site and attending a pivotal meeting with delegates from the prestigious Paradiso Culinary Academy—my alma mater—for the ambassador endo
We soon hit the road, my restaurant site, our next call. On arrival, I inspected the work process. The construction crew was working diligently and right. Satisfied with the work pace and the job done, I had no complaints. Back in the car, Ashley asked, "Next stop, lunch with Rebecca, right?"I no
(Arielle's POV) I returned home finally, exhausted but fulfilled. My Mom and son were already waiting in the sitting room, and they sprung on me, yelling their felicitations as I walked in. "We saw the news!" Maverick exclaimed, jumping on me. "You're famous now, Mama." "Congratulations, my da
Mr Stone shared his story with me, a sad expression clouding his once smiley face. "After the fire accident, I suffered a major setback. I had to sell my properties and the restaurant land to get this place," he said, gesturing to the cafe. "I'm sorry," I said, genuinely sad. Ashley had told me ab
(ARIELLE'S POV) After driving for a while, I finally brought the car to halt at a spot I considered safe and tried to catch my breath. My hands shook uncontrollably on the steering wheel, while my heart thudded fast like it would jump out of my chest. I tried to calm down, else I might not be able
(JARED'S POV) My phone rang, breaking the silence in my office. I glanced at the screen to see my investigator's name flashing. "Talk to me," I answered. "Do you have an update?" "Yes, I do," he replied and hesitated. "Go on," I urged. "Unfortunately, I was unable to trail her to her house
“I won’t be long in the shower,” he promised as he dashed into the bathroom. I picked up my phone and found a couple of missed calls from Michael Langley. A little frown crossed my face until I realized he might’ve worried after checking on me at my suite. I didn’t owe him any explanations of cours
(ARIELLE’S POV) I was awake—eyes closed, but very much aware of my surroundings. I could feel the gentle early morning breeze dance over my skin as it traveled across the room. The warmth of Jared’s skin against mine, his spring arms wrapped around me like a second blanket, brought back very vivid
(MICHAEL’S POV) I was on a zoom conference call with my strategy team back home when my phone rang. Normally, I’d just ignore it and let it ring out until whoever it was on the other end got the message. But when I looked at the caller ID, I thought better. “Jared. Is everything okay?” I asked my
“That bounce in his step? You’ll only ever find it in a man who’s in love. And you.. your skin has a different glow this morning. Plus you arrived an hour late for our appointment,” Ellen finished with a shrug. “Morning, Dr. Keystone,” Jared nodded as he walked into the room. “Good morning, Mr. Sm
(ARIELLE’S POV) I woke up in his arms, this time, fully aware and hardly willing to break the contact between our bodies. I slowly turned around to look at his face, to be sure none of it was a dream. Jared’s lips stretched in a smile and his eyes peeled open gradually. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” I e
She opened her mouth to speak, but her words died away in the back of her throat the moment I slid myself into her. It felt like heaven. It felt like returning back to a place I’d vowed never to set foot in, only to realize I’d never really left in my heart—if I was being honest with myself. She
(JARED'S POV) When we arrived at the hotel, Arielle insisted on stopping by her room first for a quick shower and to change her dress. I didn’t object because I thought I could use the time to surprise her with a little culinary adventure. The poor chicken I put in the oven would have fared better
(JARED’S POV) It was all I could think about for most of the day. And I feared it bothered her somewhat too. It didn’t help my case the slightest bit that she built a wall between us, pushing me off every time I tried to broach the topic. Of course I knew that had to be the reason—our adventure of
“Sorry about that. I just wanted to go through everything we have to do first,” Julian explained, earning a little roll of the eyes from his ex-wife. I was glad that I didn’t need to be sedated for the tests they were about to conduct. Something about lying still and unconscious again with no defin