Gael "We'll leave in fifteen minutes, guys!" Chloe announces, poking her head into the door of the hotel suite where we're having breakfast. Paul stirs in his chair and finishes the last of his coffee, leaving the cup on the table, while Max gets up to grab his executive folder lying on the sideboard. I rise from my chair to grab my phone and call Evy, eager to hear the sound of her voice. However, the call goes straight to voicemail, and I exhale with annoyance. Audibly. What could she be doing that's so important she can't answer my call? We then head straight to a big black car and drive to the Interplace building, where we'll have a business meeting. As soon as we arrive, I shake hands with the representatives of the Interplace corporation and take a seat at a large rectangular table. Chloe focuses on distributing folders with the meeting agenda, while Max takes care of explaining the bureaucratic details. I don't notice when his voice fades, and my wife's voice fills my ears.
Gael "Evy?" I shout her name impatiently, opening the door to our room and finding everything quiet and neatly arranged. I go straight to the closet and notice that a good portion of her clothes is here. Some jewelry and shoes too, most of what's left are the gifts I gave her. "Damn it, what did you do, Evy?" I growl, feeling something different inside me. A mix of fear and anger... actually, hatred. I leave the room, stomping, and head to the library where Dana said she spent some hours locked. I find some books scattered on the table, confirming what she told me when she answered my call. I look around the room for something that gives me a direction, but there's nothing here! "Mr. D'Angelo?" "Get the men, Clarck. I need to talk to them and understand what really happened here!" I order with a dry tone, not looking directly at him. "Of course, Mr.!" He leaves, and pissed off, I sweep my hand, knocking the books off the table, throwing them to the floor. "Tell me you didn't do thi
Gael Hours later... "Did you send for me, Sir?" Ulisses asks entering my office. "I did!" I say, emptying the whiskey glass and placing it on the table, making an unnecessary noise. "I want you to keep an eye on Mr. Thompson. Follow him wherever he goes." "May I know what this is about, Mr. D'Angelo?" "I know he knows where she is, and I know it's only a matter of time before he leads us to her. And when you find her, I want you to bring her to me." "Yes, Sir!" He turns to leave the room. "And, Ulisses?" "Yes, Sir?" "If you fail again, I'll make sure you never work as security in this city again!" He swallows hard. "I won't fail, Sir! I'll bring Mrs. D'Angelo back as soon as I find her." "Great! Take photos of Mr. Thompson's outings. I want to know every step he takes without exceptions." "Yes, Sir!" He leaves, closing the door, and I refill my glass. At night, I stagger up the stairs, holding onto the railing. I can't believe I let all this shit happen to me! I grumble men
A few days after the escape... "Hi! Good morning, Little One!" I say, lazily stretching on the bed and smiling, staring at the ceiling. I place a hand on my still flat belly and sigh, counting to three. As soon as I finish my count, I jump out of bed and head straight to the bathroom, directly to the toilet, which is already with the lid up for my baby's first reaction of the day. "Wow, you could take it easy on your mom here!" I scold, preparing for the next wave of nausea. As always, I feel weakened, and I lean there, waiting for my strength to return. "Until when will you be so naughty, baby? Mom needs a break," I grumble and smile amidst my agony. Minutes later, I am refreshed and stepping out from under the shower. I dry off eagerly and dress with the same enthusiasm to finally meet Marlene. I decide to have my breakfast at the bakery. In the morning, this little town is even more charming. The shops are already open, some people are walking on the sidewalks, and I laugh when I
EvyOn Christmas night...Christmas night arrived, bringing with it a sense of melancholy and memories of happier days with my family. During this time, Judy loved decorating the house with her ornaments and lights, and the colors of red, green, and gold prevailed both outside and inside. The dinner table always showcased a lavish spread with a united and joyful family. Even though her children were no longer kids, beneath the enormous and gleaming Christmas tree, there were always gifts for all of us. We had reasons to smile and give thanks every year. However, today won't be exactly like that for me. I contemplate looking at the table set for one person, with a small dish of lasagna I made earlier, a jug of orange juice, and cutlery neatly arranged next to a lonely plate.I also took care to decorate the house to reminisce about the joy of the most special person in the world to me. I placed a red candle with delicate golden details in the center of the table to add a touch of sophi
EvyHours later...Hearing the sounds of the little heartbeat is thrilling. I always knew it was there, tucked away and protected within my belly, but hearing its sounds for the first time made me certain that soon it will be in my arms, and I will love it above all else. I will fight for it with all my strength. And no one will ever take it away from me, never! I will protect it and keep it safe with me forever."Look what a magnificent surprise!" I wake up when Dr. Benjamin speaks with an unusual excitement."What, doctor?" I immediately look at the screen, and my heart almost skips a beat."You're not expecting one baby, Evy. It's two babies.""Twins?!" I whisper, astonished by such information, and I swear I don't know whether to laugh or cry."Twins," he confirms. I bring my hands to my face and soon find myself smiling through tears. "Congratulations, mommy! Now let me check how they are doing. Hmm, everything is as it should be. The circumference of their heads, the weight of t
EvyThe next day..."You're beautiful, Evy! I'm addicted to you," he whispers by my ear, and the warmth of his breath makes me gasp slightly. I turn to face him, and at that moment, my cell phone starts ringing... Wait, my cell phone? I abruptly open my eyes and find the day already bright outside. I mumble a quiet curse and grab the phone that insists on ringing. I look at the screen and stare at Bia's name, and then at the time. Damn! I jump out of bed in exasperation."What the hell, I'm late!" I growl and answer the phone. "Good morning, Bia!""Evy, where are you, dear? I have to travel in a few hours!""I know, I'm sorry! I'll be there in a few minutes.""Alright! I'm waiting for you here at the store.""Okay!" I end the call, throw the device on the bed, and rush to the bathroom. I take a quick shower and put on the first outfit I see. I drink a glass of juice, devour a generous slice of orange cake, and put some cookies in my coat pocket to eat while driving. I sling my bag ove
GaelIt's hard to say how I feel at this very moment. I'm walking the thin line between doing something crazy and drowning in a sea of emotions I don't want to feel just thinking that she's a few steps away from me. Inside me, a river of boiling blood flows. I'm furious, but I miss her too, and of course, I won't let this weakness show to her at any moment. Not after what she did to me. To feed my thirst for making her pay for her betrayal, I'm still locked in my office, sitting in my chair, staring at the pictures of Dylan next to her.Actually, too close to her. So close that he could kiss her if he wanted, and in one single photo, the damn kiss happens. I grip the bracelet I bought on my last trip tightly and press the object so hard between my fingers that the pain feels like a balm to me. And pissed off, I pound the table, taking a deep breath immediately afterward. I need to keep my damn self-control! I mentally growl and stand up from the chair, pacing back and forth in the roo
Miran D'Angelo"I'm going to get a drink for the girls. Do you want one?" David, Marie's boyfriend, asks, and without looking at him, I shake my head and head for the iron staircase. As if drawn to her, I go straight to the dance floor, right in the middle of the crowd of sweaty bodies, and stop right behind her. Boldly, my hands take possession of her waist. She glances sideways, her smile widens, and I have my green light. So, I lean against her delicious body and move following her rhythm. The whole thing is a sensual drug that intoxicates me, envelops me, and leaves me completely intoxicated. My whole body is buzzing, and damn, I'm dying to taste her flavor. But hold on, Miran, you need to take it slow. First, feed your desire, awaken your dormant fire, make her want more, and then you'll be in the bag. It doesn't take long for our bodies to be tightly pressed and sweaty. Our breaths are heavy and panting, and to top it off, we're already on the third drink.It's time to put her t
Miran D’AngeloEleven years later..."Why do you always have your nose buried in those books?" I grumble as soon as I enter the living room of my parents' house and find Donna, my youngest sister, lying on one of the sofas reading a romance novel.Girls! Why do they believe in such nonsense? They're always sighing around and daydreaming. I understand that love exists. I have several classic examples swirling around me. Paul, Max, Uncle Jasper, and even my father. Each of them has a story to tell. But let's be honest? You can't live on dreams. I'm not a heartless man or anything like that. I'm more of a pragmatist. I'm the vice president of D’Angelo Corporation and soon I'll be the president, but I didn't get here with dreams and sighs. I studied, worked hard, and did my best to be seen by my father and recognized for my merits. I'm determined, and I have my feet firmly on the ground."I love witnessing love growing in their hearts. You should try it," she says, closing the book and ju
EvyMinutes later...Remember the part where my world was falling on top of my head? It just collapsed completely because at this exact moment, there are several men scattered throughout the mansion with their pens and clipboards, calculating the value of everything. Exactly everything. Not even my jewelry escaped this. Nervously, I grabbed my phone and called my brother. Where did this idiot go? I wondered mentally when yet another call went straight to voicemail."Damn it!" I cursed with a loud exhale and pocketed the phone back."Miss Dixon?" I subtly nod to the tall, portly man as he approaches. "My name is Phil Carter, I'm the manager of the Seattle bank, and I would like to talk to your mother about some outstanding matters...""You'll have to talk to me, Mr. Carter. Please, come with me to the study," I say and take a few stiff steps, leading him inside and pointing to a chair for the gray-haired gentleman. "Care for a drink?""Oh no, thank you, it's still too early," he nods.
EvyAt dinner, I was super happy and excited about my surprise, but the atmosphere seemed a bit off. John had a smile on his face, but he couldn't take his eyes off his plate. Why was this strange? Well, normally, he's chatty and funny too. Dad, on the other hand, was serious and barely touched his food, and my mom seemed a bit pale. If this surprise could tragically change the mood of our dinner, I confess I'm afraid to find out what it is."I need to go out," Dad announced suddenly, and Mom dropped her utensils on the plate. He went to the living room, and she followed him immediately."What was that? What's happening?" I asked my brother. However, he let out a theatrical sigh and looked at me with a certain disdain."It was nothing, little sis. Dixon family dramas that you know well. I don't know how you're not used to it yet." I forced myself to swallow the food in my mouth, left the utensils, and went after them. Dixon family drama? What kind of talk is this? Since when do we hav
Evy"Ah, Ivy?" He immediately puts down the pen on the papers and stands up."Did you want to talk to me, Professor?" He nods, indicating a chair, and I politely take a seat."First of all, I want you to know that I just graded your test.""And?" I arch my presumptuous eyebrows because I know exactly what the result is."You are truly amazing, girl!" I break into a broad and smug smile."Thank you, Professor!""Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about.""So, what is it about?""I've had my eye on you for some time, Ivy. And since we're nearing the end of the course, I'd like to invite you to go out." Okay, I swallowed hard now. Okay, he's really handsome and attractive too. There's just a little problem in this equation. After focusing on this course, my second focus will be getting into one of Seattle's largest accounting firms "the D’Angelo Corporation" and for that, I'll have to take another deep dive into the world of numbers, but this dive needs to be much deeper. I'll need
From this chapter onwards you will have a spin-off of Ivy Dixon. How it all began?*** EvyMoments before the Dixon family went bankrupt..."My name is Ivy Dixon, but you already know that. As you've probably noticed, I'm a pretty outgoing and lively girl. However, I'm also determined and opinionated. So, I can take things easy, but don't step on my toes. Besides this mixed personality of mine, I have an exaggerated passion for numbers, and that's been the case for as long as I can remember. That's precisely why I'm studying accounting.Well, I was born into a family with Italian veins, and I believe that's where my determination comes from. I have few friends at the moment, and don't think it's because of shyness, because if there's one thing I'm not, it's shy. The fact is, since I started college, my high school and childhood friends have all gone their separate ways, and I've had to start from scratch since then. Of course, I'm almost done with my degree, and I haven't exactly foc
Gael "Time for congratulations, guys," my daylight announces, opening just a crack in the door. The men down the remnants of their drinks and leave their empty glasses on the coffee table, exiting the office one by one. However, I remain standing in my place, devouring my wife with my gaze. She stands by the doorframe, and after coveting me for a while, decides to enter the room and walks slowly towards me. I undo the first two buttons of my shirt for some air, but it seems to be trapped in my lungs. Definitely, nothing has changed between us over these years. Ivy still dominates me, circles around me, blatantly steals my control and my capacity too. However, I don't complain. On the contrary. I love it when she takes over my universe and commands my entire orbit. I think completely amazed when she stops right in front of me. "You look beautiful," I whisper, leaving my untouched glass on my desk and pull her closer to me. My wife wraps her arms around my neck, and I tilt my head clos
GaelSeven years later...Every passing day convinces me that I was a fool. Remembering that I was once an arrogant man, equally tough on myself, everything, and everyone around me, makes me realize that I wasted a lot of time licking my wounds and covering my eyes to see only what I allowed myself to see. For this reason, my universe changed course in a radical and painful way. I had to face fear head-on. I had to endure the cold that nearly froze my bones and the storms that almost destroyed me to get here. I reflect as I watch the preparations for my youngest daughter's fifth birthday party."Grandma? Grandma?" Donna shouts with her infectious childlike enthusiasm, and the twins run in the same direction as her, snapping me out of my reverie.That's exactly what you're understanding. We had another daughter over the years, and what a surprise it was when my beautiful wife named her after my mother. Donna D'Angelo, our little princess. The funniest thing about all this is that Lis,
Jasper Mason"That's it, Gael! From all of this, man!" Paul grumbles in agreement, filling his glass and raising it in a toast. Max does the same, with trembling hands, and the others repeat the gesture. We approach to join our glasses in a clumsy toast, spilling some of the drink, and we turn the liquid into our mouths at once."There you go, groom, you start the game." Paul unexpectedly throws the ball in my direction, and it hits my head forcefully. The guys laugh, and I point a finger at him."I'm going to beat you big time, idiot!" I threaten with humor, and the commotion returns. When I was just a boy, I dreamed of moments like this with my older brother. Games, laughter, sarcastic remarks, moments of camaraderie. However, I never imagined a bachelor party or that he would be my best man at the wedding. The ball rolls on the improvised field, and I run wildly, dribbling the men in my way. However, after hitting the goalpost made of stones, I gaze at the sky, opening a wide and h