(JARED'S POV) "What do you mean by "divorce?" I bellowed at the man seated across from me in my office. Since the last time at the hospital where I spoke to Arielle, I had not spoken or set my eyes on her again. I visited the hospital a couple of times, but still was denied access. I even tried ta
(ARIELLE'S POV) "Is everything alright?" Ashley asked, noticing my sudden stillness. I turned to face her. "It's Jared." Her eyes widened. "What is he doing here?" I shook my head. "I don't know." Ashley stood up, concern on her face. "Do you want to let him in?" I took a deep breath and
(JARED'S POV) “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned in the heart.” The words reverberated in my ears over and over again, and I felt like cutting them off. I was driving home after the confrontation with Arielle, but the words won't stop replaying in my head. And each time they did, I felt shiver
(JARED'S POV)I went quiet for a moment, lost in my thoughts. As much as I hated to admit it, Sofia had a point. If she hadn’t left, I never would’ve met Arielle. And even if I had, we wouldn’t have ended up married. But that was life. I couldn’t go back and rewrite the past. What was the point of d
(ARIELLE’S POV) “Friends?” I taunted him. “Best friends? Just like you and Sofia? He didn't respond, so I continued. “I have enough friends. I do not need more.” He nodded and rose to his feet. “I'll see you some other time. I wanted to scoff and tell him, “You wish,” but I restrained mysel
(SOFIA'S POV) I was taken aback by Jared's cold demeanor toward me, but I refused to relent. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger. In the past, it was me calling the shot, forming a miss hard–to–get, but now, the tables have turned. It was now my turn to amend things with Jared, and I
(ARIELLE’S POV) I was startled by Ashley's question, totally thrown off guard. "I...I don't know," I stuttered. "For now, all I want is to return to work." "I understand," she said, patting my shoulders. "Come on, let's go back to what we were watching." The rest of the evening passed in a blur.
She paused rummaging her closest and turned to face me. "That's exactly why you need to come. You've been cooped up in this house for weeks. It's time to get out and have fun." I sighed, knowing my resistance was futile when it came to Ashley. "Fine, but if I get bored, I'm leaving." "Fine, deal."
“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