“And you’re both squabbling like high school girls again,” I rolled my eyes. “See? He’s a big baby,” Jared pointed out. “And so are you!” Dwayne argued. “Enough, you two!” I cut them both short. They both looked down in shame and their room was quiet for a fleeting second, until Jared broke the
(JARED’S POV) I couldn’t quite put what I was doing in the kitchen into the adequate words, but I felt my way through it. I pulled out a pan from the cupboard above me and placed it down on the cooktop. Moments later, Dwayne shuffled into the room. Arielle had fallen asleep on our watch— more like
“Look who’s finally done with their shopping,” he jested. “Hey, shut up,” I snapped. “At least I didn’t get any help. Bow do you intend cooking that thing you’ve got there, though? Plan on bringing the shopkeeper to the house?” he said mockingly. I could feel him pricking ever nerve in my body and
(JARED’S POV.)The room was still covered in a cloud of smoke. I stood in a state of confusion, unsure whether to start cleaning the kitchen from the pan on the floor or the lump of burnt ginseng lying on the other side of the kitchen. Then there was the cooktop to clean out.Arielle shook her head
(JARED'S POV) “Ma’am, you need to quiet down. You’re drawing so much attention to us,” Tiana rushed over to restrain her. “Let them hear! Let the world hear, Jared Smith, you wicked man!” Sofia’s mother screamed, her voice raw with grief and fury. “It’s your fault my daughter is in that ICU, fight
(Jared’s POV)I knew I had to get out of here before the situation grew worse. The frenzy was growing by the seconds, with Sofia's mother still yelling and weeping, throwing accusations at me left and right.I tried to step away amidst the crowd of reporters swarming around me, but they were relentl
Not that there was much to see. I found a cooking competition show—some light drama to distract myself—and soon, the tension of the contestants started pulling me in. But just as I was getting to the good part, the screen flickered, and a news interruption cut through.My breath caught in my throat
(ARIELLE’S POV) When Jared finally answered my call, I could sense the stress he was already going through from his voice. "Arielle, I'm in the middle of something. Can I call you back?" I hesitated, unsure how to approach this. The news still echoed in my mind, and I could barely find the words.
“Okay, how about… the bartender from that rooftop dinner we went to?” “Arielle!” Ashley exclaimed, feigning offense. “Seriously? A random bartender?” I shrugged. “Hey, you never know. Besides, you said it yourself that he was your type.” She rolled her eyes and didn't say a word. I continued the
(ARIELLE’S POV) I halted, my mind going blank. Pregnant? Ashley? It felt unbelievable. The Ashley I know would never let a man knock her up without marriage, she was that uptight. My eyes darted from her beaming face to the hand she was now placing on her stomach. “Pregnant?” The word escaped my l
(ARIELLE'S POV) “Surprise!” She exclaimed, her face beaming with smiles as she stepped fully into the room, pulling a small suitcase behind her. My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. She looked tired from her trip, but her radiant smile masked it well. “Ashley, what are you doing here?” I asked, st
(ARIELLE'S POV) Back in my room at the hotel, I sat in front of my phone that was placed on the bed’s dashboard, waiting for my mom to answer the phone. Excitement coursed through my system like an unending river, and I couldn't wait to share the good news with my loved ones, my mom topping the cha
“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