“Rose, are you sure you’re okay?” Natalie asked.
Natalie had rushed over to her house the following day to check on her best friend. She was very worried, especially after seeing the news.
Tears formed in Rose’s eyes as she held her best friend's gaze. Words couldn’t form so all she could do was shake her head as the walls came crashing down.
“You saw the news, Natalie, My marriage is about to end!” She buried her face in her hands her heart tearing into shreds of pieces.
“Because of that bitch? She’s so shameless! Hanging onto a married man like that? Just say the word and I’ll give her a very friendly visit!” Natalie held Rose in her arms.
Rose knew her friend was anything but friendly and that made her laugh. She peeled away from her and wiped her tears, “Ethan seems to be still in love with her, I mean you should have seen how he almost flew when she called yesterday!”
“And you’re just going to sit and watch her snatch what is yours?” Natalie asked in disbelief.
Rose sighed, feeling like she was carrying a ton of bricks on her shoulders, “What else can I do? He's always loved her.”
Yes, it was true that she still loved Ethan and he had been good to her for the past three years. She thought he would eventually fall head over heels for her as long as she kept doing her best. But since Zoe has come back, the formula was looking like it had expired.
It was like she had moved one step forward and ten steps backward. It reminded her of when they had just gotten married three years ago, or when she had a crush on him since she was a kid.
“What do you mean? You've had a crush on him for so many years and you've finally gotten married. It’s your marriage, Rose! Fight for him for crying out loud! You two have been getting closer each day for the past three years. He has never mistreated you before has he?” Natalie asked.
Rose shook her head while biting her lip and Natalie continued, “Exactly, so why should that desperate witch come and ruin what you’ve built? The problem began the day she showed up put her in her place!” Natalie said and leaned back in her chair.
After a few minutes, Rose responded, “You’re right! He’s my husband. She’s the one who should know her place.”
“That’s my girl! But seriously, if you need me to whoop her annoying ass, I know some people.” Natalie leaned over and whispered.
Rose threw her head back in laughter as Amanda walked in with a tray of coffee cups.
“Thank you, Amanda,” Rose said.
Amanda nodded respectfully and walked out.
Natalie took a cup and wanted to give it to Rose when bile rose in her throat. She stood and quickly rushed out of the room.
A few minutes later, Rose returned and Natalie gave her a smug look, her eyes twinkling with anticipation, “What was that? Rose, are you?” She left the question hanging in the air.
“Yes!” Rose smiled as she sat back on the couch when Natalie placed the cup back down on the side table and pulled her friend into a tight hug.
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a godmother! Oh, congratulations my sweetheart!” She squeezed her even tighter!
“Natalie!” Rose said between laughs, “You can let me go before you suffocate me!”
Once they had pulled apart, Natalie leaned closer, “Have you told Ethan yet?”
“No, I was going to yesterday but, well you saw the rest,” Rose responded with a painful stab to her heart.
It still hurt that Ethan left her like that. Not once but twice in one day!
“Well, you need to! This my friend is the magic that will wipe away that witch from your lives!” Natalie said with a smile.
“You think so?”
“Of course!”
******
Rose felt warm hands on her head as they brushed her hair backward. Her eyes opened slowly and landed on the handsome face that always made her heart race.
“Hey,” He said softly.
“Ethan?” Rose asked as she sat up.
Ethan didn't know that Rose was pregnant and wondered why she went to bed so early.
“You went to bed so early today, I brought you something.” He said and Rose’s heart began to beat wildly against her chest, ‘Is it the bracelet?’
“What is it?” Rose asked in a steady voice even though she was shaking inside.
“Turn over and close your eyes,” Ethan said and Rose turned and gave him her back.
Rose felt a cold chain wrap around her neck. When Ethan turned her around, he had a look of regret in his eyes and it made Rose’s heart race.
“I’m sorry Rose, I couldn’t find the bracelet that you wanted. The one I had made for you was broken by Zoe accidentally when I dropped her off so I could only get you a necklace.” He reached for her hands and held them in his.
The touch felt like an electric shock and Rose felt her walls crumble down. All the anger she had pent up was melted by the gray stormy eyes that stared deep into her soul.
Ethan’s gaze always managed to bring Rose to her knees. He rarely touched and looked at her that way, but when he did, Rose suddenly couldn’t remember how to breathe.
“I forgive you, but you owe me dinner.” She teased.
Ethan never joked with her and she expected him to dismiss her request but he shocked her when he responded and said,
“No problem, I wanted to do it yesterday but Zoe’s leg had been injured and she has an important show coming up. I felt bad since she got injured in our home.” Ethan squeezed her hand.
Rose‘s heart clenched at the way he spoke about Zoe, It was clear to her that he still cared about her and it tore her to shreds.
“Okay.” She gave him half a smile as she wondered if he would care about Zoe the same way when he found out she was pregnant.
Ethan’s eyes softened and his blank expression returned and he stood,
“Tomorrow evening, we have to go to Grandpa’s house. He invited us over for his party.”
Rose nodded as a thought crossed her,
‘This is great! I can announce the news tomorrow with everyone present. I’m sure Ethan and Grandpa will be happy.’
“How do I look, Ethan?” Rose turned to show Ethan how the dress he had gotten her fitted her perfectly.Rose was shocked when she came back from bathing and found a beautiful black dress lying down on the bed with a note that read:[Wear this.]Her heart swelled with happiness as she searched for a reaction in his eyes. This was the first time Ethan had paid attention to what she was wearing and she wanted to make it count.“Let’s go.” was his grumpy response as he held the door open. Rose felt a bit disappointed but she sucked it up and walked with him to the car. Alfred was already waiting at the entrance, “I’ll drive.” He said as he took the keys and Alfred nodded.“Yes sir, good evening Madam?” Alfred offered Rose a smile and she smiled back.“Hello, Alfred.” Alfred held the door open and Rose stepped into the car. Once Ethan had sat, she turned to face him, “I actually have some very important news to share at Grandpa’s party,” Rose said happily.“What news?” Ethan asked in hi
“Oh, my beautiful granddaughter inlaw! How I’ve missed you!” Anderson pulled Rose into a tight hug.Anderson Sinclair was Ethan’s grandfather who was in his late 60s. He was the founder of the S and Partners Group and Rose’s biggest fan. In fact, he played a crucial role for Ethan to end up marrying her.“Hello, Grandpa. I’m sorry I haven’t visited you as often as I should, I’ll do better.” Rose smiled as she peeled from the warm embrace.Anderson waved it off, “Don’t mind that. What’s important is that you’re here now!” He pulled Rose along to the dining table where the rest of the family members were already sitting.“Rose dear, it’s good to see you,” Georgina said with a smile as she walked in with a tray of food and placed it on the table. “Hello, mum., Dad, Jane.” Rose smiled at them all as she took a seat that Ethan held open for her.“You should visit us more often Ethan, I miss you a lot. Look, I even cooked the full meal myself!” Georgina explained but Ethan simply ignored h
“What’s the meaning of this!” Anderson’s face became red from how angry he was.Anderson had always hated Zoe and her entire family, it’s actually the reason the two couldn’t be together. Zoe had always known that but thought since it had been so long, she could try and win back their hearts but her plan was already a failure before it even began.“What are you doing here, Zoe?” Ethan asked in a calm voice that went straight to Rose’s heart.Her heart was bleeding and shock was written all over her face, this was the least she expected, and seeing how calm Ethan was made her feel even worse, ‘I guess he’s happy to see her.’ She thought sadly as she sat back in her chair. “Good evening, Grandpa and everyone,” Zoe said in a sweet voice turning to answer Ethan, “I came to say hi since I was nearby. Have you forgotten?” She smiled innocently while she walked over to Anderson so she could present her gift but Anderson got even angrier and pushed the gift away from her hands before shoutin
Pain couldn’t begin to explain how Rose was feeling. Her knees felt weak and her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her body and she was left numb with no emotions left. She felt numb and couldn’t even cry from the amount of sadness she was feeling, ‘Ethan will never pick me over Zoe. I will always be the shadow in their relationship’ She thought as she wrapped her arms around herself.She had rushed out of the car and forgot to pick up her coat. The wind was blowing and the weather was extremely cold. Her feet had blisters from the heels and how long she had been walking. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even remember seeing any taxi pass by.Her phone was getting low and a small part of her wished that Ethan had regretted leaving her out in the cold and turned the car around.“I should know better by now, he wouldn’t abandon his precious Zoe just for me!” She mused as the tears she was holding back began to fall on her face. She released and a dam erupted ins
The smell of cooked pasta hit Rose's nose as she walked into the kitchen. It was Amanda's day off so she wondered who would be cooking this early. Rose had woken up with a painful headache because of how much she had cried to sleep, her face was puffy and her eyes were swollen.When she woke up and found the bed empty, it didn't help her already sour mood. ‘So, he didn't even come home last night?’ she thought sadly as she turned and walked into the kitchen deep in her thoughts. “Good morning,” Ethan's deep voice stopped her in her tracks. He was freshly shaven and had a T-shirt with sweatpants on, he looked so handsome and it made Rose’s heart skip a beat. But despite how good he looked, The pain from the previous night was still fresh and Rose was angry.“Morning.” She responded roughly as she passed him and grabbed a glass of water. Rose was internally curious as to why Ethan was cooking, he was rarely at home and a part of her wondered if the food was for Zoe. Not wanting to
Several days had gone by and Rose had the greatest week of her life ever since she was married. It took time for Rose to fully trust Ethan again but upon seeing him spend the entire week with her, her heart was beating for him once again. The day she had been looking forward to had finally arrived! Ethan would now know he would be a father and her heart couldn’t wait to see the excitement on his face.“Don’t forget about tomorrow’s appointment,” Rose said sleepily.“I won’t,” Ethan assured her and she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. The next morning,Her eyes stirred awake and turned but found that her side of the bed was empty. She touched it and all the sleep from her eyes disappeared.It was cold, so that meant Ethan had gotten up a long time ago.Rose stood and felt guilty, she wondered if he was behind on work because he had taken so many days off just to be with her. Wrapping the robe around her, she walked downstairs to search for him but everything looked the s
A bright light shone through the curtain and everything felt so quiet. “Rose,” Natalie’s voice came, tears on her best friend's face made Rose realize she hadn’t been dreaming. It happened and she was truly in an accident.“My baby!” Rose’s tears began to fall down her face as she held her stomach protectively.“Calm down, you’re still hurt. The baby is fine.” Natalie’s words made Rose sigh in relief and lay back down on the bed.Her body was sore and everything on her was hurting. She looked at Natalie, “How long has it been?”“A few hours, babe what the hell happened? I almost got a stroke and followed you to the afterlife!” Natalie said as she sat back on the chair next to Rose.Despite how much pain she was in, Natalie would always put her in a good mood. Her best friend was a free spirit and didn’t tolerate any nonsense from anyone. At times, Rose found herself wishing she was as strong as Natalie.“I was driving myself to the medical checkup,” Rose explained, her heartstrings fee
“By the time you’re nine months, that baby will have finished all your savings, I should have indicated more settlement!” Natalie teased as she passed Rose a bowl of noodles that she had been craving.“Natalie!”“I mean, it’s not like we’re going to go broke, your bastard husband’s 50% will settle us for life!” Natalie laughed in between bites.She had taken some days off work so that she could help Rose get better. Rose had been staying at Natalie’s house for five days now since the day of the accident. She had recovered and the body pains reduced in such a short period. Knowing her best friend was going through the worst time of her life, she avoided talking about Ethan. Except when she was slandering him bitterly for hurting Rose. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Mason is back.” Rose said and Natalie’s eyes widened, a mischievous twinkle in them that made Rose shake her head.“You don’t say! How did you know?” Natalie asked.Natalie had met Mason a few times when he used to visit Rose a
Hello, my dear readers.We've reached the end of our book and like I promised, I didn't drag it. We had planned to make it 300 chapters but Ian's story will be an independent one although I'm not sure when it will be released.I'm so grateful to each and every one of you for your continuous support and how you've rocked with me since the beginning. Your comments, gems, and gifts, have been my lifeline. I wrote this book from start to finish with nothing but love in my heart.I really hope you loved it and how I wrapped it up. My next book will be dropping next week keep an eye out. I really hope you'll give it a chance too because I love the storyline as well.Thank you so much, I love you guys. OTHER WORKS.....Please do check out my other books too, THE COLD-HEARTED CEO'S SECRET LOVE: MY REBORN WIFEMR. CEO, PLEASE LOVE OUR MUMMYBILLIONAIRE'S SWEETHEARTOWNED BY THE MAFIA KING.QUESTION:Would you like the next story to be purely Billionaire or have a touch of Mafia?I'll be rea
Seventeen years later……“Ethan!” Rose’s voice boomed through the house as she clattered down the stairs, her heels clicking furiously. “We’re going to be late! Daisy and Caleb’s graduation starts in twenty minutes, and you know how she is about punctuality!” she yelled as she tried to fix her left earring. Ethan emerged from the kitchen, tying his tie with a smirk. “Relax, baby. I’m ready, and I already have the car waiting.” He pulled her close before giving her a soft kiss on the lips. They were so in love even after so many years it was surreal. “You’ve been more worked up than they have. Caleb probably doesn’t even give a shit.”Rose huffed, brushing a stray hair back into place. As she created some distance so she could think clearly, “Worked up? It’s not every day our surviving triplets graduate college! And you know Daisy will never let me hear the end of it if we’re late. As for your uptight twin, I’ll pull him by the ear if I have to. He will attend.”“Mama Bear is Fesity.
One year later…The sun hung low in the sky, casting a soft, warm glow over the cemetery as Rose, Ethan, Natalie, Zane, and their children made their way to the gravesite. The day was peaceful, with a gentle breeze, as if the world had stilled in respect for the family reunion.Rose held a bouquet of white lilies, her fingers tracing the edges of each petal. Beside her, Ethan wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, offering silent support as they stood before the headstones of her parents. Caleb and Daisy held hands, their little faces observing the scene unfold as they watched their mother, while Zane and Natalie held baby Arabel, who gazed curiously at her surroundings. Marie held Riley, Rose, and Ethan’s baby girl who was seven months old. It was Rose’s parent’s memorial but this time she wasn’t alone. She took a deep breath, kneeling down and placing the lilies gently in front of the graves. Her voice was soft as a tear slipped down her cheek.No matter how much time pass
“Zane.. what..” Natalie’s voice trailed as she covered her mouth in shock.Zane smiled as he held her gaze. “Natalie,” he began, his voice full of excitement like he couldn’t wait to wife her and just be alone with her, “I fell for you the first day I laid eyes on you. Your fire and focus were the first to flip my heart. Your beauty was a bonus and Damn, I’m not complaining because my little firecracker is so fucking gorgeous. You showed me there is more to life than just living. You’ve been my strength, my joy, and my reason to keep fighting. Winning your heart has been my biggest flex but I promise you, even if it took me ten years, I would have kept trying and proving myself until you opened up for me. You’d probably fight me, but it’d be worth every broken nose I’d get.”Natalie laughed, her fingers clinging tightly to the bouquet.Zane opened the box, revealing a beautiful ring with a sparkling diamond, Her eyes widened when she realized it was the ring she helped Rose make a m
“You’ve been my rock, my best friend, and my greatest love. You’ve made me a better man, and there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do to make you as happy as you’ve made me. Today, I vow to stand by you, to protect you, and to cherish you for the rest of my life. I promise to love you more deeply each day, through every joy and every challenge. You, and the beautiful family we’ve created together, are my everything.”A few tears slipped down Rose’s cheeks, and she bit her lip, smiling through the emotion that welled up in her chest. She took a steadying breath as the officiant turned to her, and Ethan’s hands gently held hers, grounding her.“Ethan Sinclair, father of my children and King of heart, ” she began softly, her voice a gentle whisper that grew stronger as she spoke. “When I first met you, You were a pain in my ass.” The guests laughed.“I’ve loved you even before I knew what love was. You hated it, I could see through you but that made me want to heal your broken pieces
The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm, golden glow over the outdoor wedding venue giving it a magical look as rows of white chairs lined the green lawn, decorated with different kinds of flowers except the Roses, the look creating an aisle that looked like a path straight out of a fairytale. At the altar, Ethan stood in a tailored black suit, his expression a mix of excitement and nervousness as he waited for his bride. His hands were clasped tightly together, his breath catching as the music began to play softly, signaling Rose’s arrival.Daisy came first, She looked cute in a beautiful white dress and her hair was made into two cute ponytails, small earrings, and a bracelet made by Rose specifically for her. She had on white socks which had a small lace at the top and white shoes with a small heel. She gave a wide smile as she walked while tossing the peony petals on the white long carpet. The crowd of guests smiled and were all in awe as they watched her little figure walk
Two months later…“This feels weird,” Rose said as Natalie tied the ropes behind her dress.“Why do you feel weird? Because you’re in a wedding dress while pregnant with two kids and another adopted baby?” Natalie teased making Rose laugh.“Very nice way of making me feel so much better!” Rose mocked. Natalie smiled warmly, her hands resting gently on Rose’s shoulders as she turned her around to face the mirror. “Look at you, Rose. You’re absolutely glowing,” she said, her voice emotional, “This little angel is surely doing you justice, I looked like I had swallowed balloons when I was carrying Arabel.”Rose laughed, “You exaggerate too much. You looked stunning, it’s no wonder Zane always lost his mind over you.” Her throat felt dry as the emotions she was trying to hold back came crashing down.It had been two months since Natalie woke up and made a great recovery. Ian was still observing her closely but she was better.Arabel, who was born prematurely at seven months had also reac
“A little scared, but yeah, I’m ready.” He responded with a small smile.Agness nodded as she held the door open for him. He stepped inside, his heart pounding as he approached her bed. Gently, he took her hand in his, feeling the faint warmth of her skin beneath his fingers. He swallowed, a knot forming in his throat.She looked like she was just asleep and not on the verge of death.“Natalie,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s me. I’m here.”Her hand was still, but he held on, willing her to feel his presence. “You’re not alone, baby. I’ll be here every step of the way. I’m not going anywhere. We have a little girl, I heard you named her Arabel. It’s a very beautiful name, and she’s waiting to meet you, and I know she’s going to love you as much as I do.”His voice cracked, and he blinked back the tears threatening to fall. “You have to come back to us. I need you. Arabel needs you. We’re not complete without you.” He lifted her hand to his face as tears ran down his
One week later…“CONGRATULATIONS, IT’S A GIRL!” Agness smiled at Zane as she delivered the news. He had woken up two days after Ian saved him, stabilized four days later, and was now able to stand. “Can I see her?” Zane asked, feeling like his chest was stuffed with emotions. “As soon as you get better and you’re able to walk again, I’ll take you to her. We can’t bring her out yet because she’s premature and has to be observed.” Agness explained kindly.“Congratulations, man. Welcome to fatherhood.” Ethan tapped his shoulder.“Congratulations, Zane.” Rose smiled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. Everyone surrounded him including Ilet his mother and Henry.“You’re finally grown, my sweet prince!” Ilet let out a cry making Henry groan because he knew she was about to start being dramatic.“Mum,”“Don’t mum me, young man. You’re in so much trouble! Just wait until you get better. You’re lucky I was too preoccupied with Arabel to hit you.”“Arabel?” Zane asked arching his brow in c