(Mike's POV)."So, you’re going to remarry my daughter, huh?"The question came from Jimmy, Emily’s father, with the weight of both curiosity and warning in his voice. His eyes, still sharp despite the health battles he’d faced, focused entirely on me. Emily stood beside me, her hand resting gently on my arm, but I knew this was a moment between Jimmy and me—a moment where everything I’d ever promised to Emily was about to be scrutinized. I was ready for it.Emily had told me that this would happen eventually, that her father—recovering from a stroke—would want to talk to me, man to man. And while Emily was my heart, her father’s approval mattered. It was an unspoken rule. Emily squeezed my arm and kissed my cheek before excusing herself from the room, her father’s office, leaving us alone. The door closed with a soft thud, sealing in the gravity of the moment.I stood across from Jimmy, hands at my sides, and waited for him to make the next move. The old man waved me over to the c
(Emily's POV).“Did my dad make you scared?” I asked Mike, breaking the comfortable silence in the car as we drove toward his mansion. I watched him, his jaw tight as he focused on the road, yet calm. I loved how Mike always seemed to be in control, but after today, after that conversation with my dad, I couldn’t help but wonder if it shook him a little.Mike glanced at me briefly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “No, Love,” he said smoothly, “the only thing that could’ve scared me was if your dad told me not to be with you.” He paused for a moment, letting that sink in. “Even though I’ve known from the start that he liked me.”I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from my chest. “Wow, Mike, way to be humble,” I teased, giving him a playful punch on the arm. “You’re so confident.”His grin widened as he shrugged. “What can I say? There’s nothing in the world I’m afraid of… except losing you.”Those words hit me harder than I expected. My face flushed, warmth creeping up from
(Emily's POV). "It feels so good, you know. We always enjoy our lovey-dovey every night." I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as I lay there next to Mike, still catching my breath. My body hummed with a sense of satisfaction, that familiar warmth spreading through my limbs. I rolled over on the bed, resting my head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat steady beneath my ear. Mike let out a low chuckle, his hand absentmindedly running through his tousled hair. His body was drenched in sweat, but the scent of him—warm, clean, and faintly musky—always made me dizzy in the best way. I swear, sometimes it was like he showered in cologne, but I knew better. He just naturally smelled like that. It was infuriating and addictive all at once. He rubbed his arm, still catching his breath too. "I’ve never been like this before," he admitted, his voice low and a little rough. He turned his head to look at me, his eyes dark and full of something intense. "Not even with… o
(Emily's POV)."I cooked a meal for you to bring to your office," I told Mike as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was tousled, sticking up in every direction, and he looked at me with a mix of confusion and surprise.“Love..." he started, glancing at the food I had laid out on the counter, the steam rising from the containers. "Why are you cooking?" His tone wasn’t harsh, but there was a clear concern in his voice. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "Didn’t I tell you not to do this? You’re not supposed to be tired out. You need to rest, especially now."I sighed, wiping my hands on a dish towel before turning to face him fully. "Mike, I want to be useful as your wife. I can’t just sit around all day doing nothing. I want to make sure you have something homemade to eat. You know... something that reminds you of me when you’re at work."His expression softened, but he still didn’t look convinced. I could see the worry in his
(Ben's POV).“Ck! Now you come alone without her?” I asked, my voice dripping with skepticism as Mike appeared, walking toward the bench where I sat. Alone. Of course, he didn’t bring her. He never brings Emily when he comes to see me. It’s like he’s hiding her, shielding her from whatever remains of our twisted connection. Or maybe Emily herself didn't want to come all along to see me.Mike didn’t answer right away. He didn’t have to. His calm demeanor, as always, was as steady as a still pond. It annoyed me to no end. How he could stay so composed when he knew exactly what I wanted, what I had lost. He had everything now. Her love. Her trust. Everything that had once been mine—or at least, what I thought was mine. Don't say I'm not regret it. Of course I regret, but it was only I kept to myself, not to show to my family, people I knew or Emily herself.Without a word, he extended his hand and placed a package of food on the bench beside me. “Eat it while it’s still warm,” Mike
(Mike's POV).“Yeah, I’m just done meeting him, Love. I’ll be back to my office.” I told Emily as soon as I answered her call, trying to keep my voice casual.“Everything's alright? He didn't say bad words to you?”I chuckled and said, “although he said bad words to me, it doesn't mean anything, Love. Trust me, the bad words coming from my enemies or even him, means nothing. It won't make me down.”“I know you would say that, but still I'm worried.”I smiled when I heard her say that. “Meet you later, OK? I love you.”“I love you too, Mike. Be careful on the road.”Earlier today, during lunch, I mentioned to Emily that I was going to visit Ben in prison. I didn’t ask her to come along—I knew she wouldn’t want to see him after everything that happened. She had moved on, and honestly, so had I. But sometimes, things needed to be settled face-to-face, no matter how much time had passed.As I hung up the phone, I reflected on my earlier meeting with Ben. My nephew's arrogance was still th
(Mike's POV).“Next time, if she comes and just brings flowers or any other stuff, throw it in the basket. And if she asks or gets mad at you, tell her it’s my command.”I leaned back in my chair as I said this to my secretary. She nodded without a word, her eyes widening slightly before she turned and left the room. I knew she didn’t want to get in the middle of whatever was going on, but it couldn’t be helped. Ellen had to understand that showing up unannounced with gifts wasn’t going to work. Not anymore.I sighed, rubbing my temples as the door closed behind the secretary. Why couldn’t Ellen just give up? After all this time apart, she still showed up like nothing had happened, as if we hadn’t both moved on. Well, I had moved on—clearly, she hadn’t. I thought what we had was just… limited to the bedroom. There were no emotions, no strings, just a mutual understanding. Or so I thought.But Ellen had been around longer than anyone else. I couldn’t deny that. She knew me in ways m
(Mike's POV).“Shopping for our baby’s stuff is what I’ve been waiting for since I got pregnant, Mike.” Emily’s voice was full of excitement, her eyes sparkling with that unmistakable glow of motherhood.I looked over at her as we walked through the aisles of the baby store, and despite how many times I’d thought it, I couldn’t help but say it again in my head—she’s radiant. Seven months pregnant, and Emily looked more beautiful than ever. Sure, maybe it was the pregnancy hormones doing their magic, but I knew better. She’d always been beautiful, from the very start. Now, though, there was something more. She was glowing, full of life, and every time I looked at her, I was reminded just how lucky I was.“You know,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual, though I couldn’t hide my excitement, “if you want, we can design a room for the baby. I’ll get the best decorators to make it perfect. Anything you want, Love. You just say the word.”Emily turned to me, her hand resting gently on