PEDROI watched her sprint after him, my heart shattering into a million pieces. I had never felt like such a failure, like such a loser, in my life.Not only did I lose her, I never got to tell her the truth. I hate myself for my cowardice. I hate the weakling that my father gave birth to."I made my choice and she made hers. But why does it hurt so much?" I said, turning to the window and watching their car drive away. I felt hollow and empty, as if a part of me had been ripped away.A sob wracked my body, and a guttural cry escaped my lips. "He'll never let her see me again," I said, the words like nails in my chest.My phone buzzed in my pocket, a jarring sound in the stillness of the room. I reached a trembling hand into my pocket and pulled it out.It was my father calling. I wanted to smash my phone against the floor, to rip it to pieces. I regretted ever trying to mend things with him, regretted the day I honored his request to meet him at the penthouse. I had been a fool, and
SELENAThe drive to the villa was a silent one. Christopher gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white as he stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched. I could sense his fury, barely contained beneath the surface.He had been busy on the phone all night, and when I asked him what the project was about, he had refused to tell me anything. I had wondered what was going on, but I never imagined it would be this.Did he call off the project with Pedro? Had he paid the termination fee? Had he even reached out to the company to end the contract? Or was the project finally over, without me ever knowing anything.His silence hurt me deeply. I knew how much the project meant to him, and the thought that my actions might have caused it to fail gnawed at my conscience. I hated the idea that I might have cost him his dream. His dreame of making his plan project a success.“Chrissy, can you…”"No," he barked, his voice harsh and cold. His shoulders shook with barely suppressed rage, his
PEDROA week had passed since I'd kicked Louisa out of my apartment, and each day I found myself staring at my phone, impatiently waiting for Mr. Santos' call. I knew he would be livid, and that he would threaten to take away his share of the company.While I wasn't worried about the financial impact of Mr. Santos' withdrawal, I didn't want it to happen. Yes, my father had promised to invest in the project, but I wanted to succeed on my own merits, not because of his help. I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else that I could make it on my own."Wait a minute," I said, halting my frantic pacing. I tugged at my damp hair in frustration, shaking my head. "Is he expecting me to call him first?" I muttered to myself."Screw him," I muttered, tossing my phone onto the dresser in frustration. I sat on the stool in front of the dresser, I glared at my reflection in the mirror, the anger and disappointment plain on my face.I let out a long, exasperated sigh, and my eyes fell on the s
SELENAWork kept me distracted, but I couldn't help but think about everything that had been going on at home. Christopher had stormed out and hadn't returned since.Margaret and Mr. Andre had been at each other's throats for the past few days, a marked change from their usual harmonious relationship.I felt like a stranger at home home. It was a strange feeling, considering that for so long I had felt like part of the family. But lately, it seemed like I was an outsider, an inconvenience even. They never said anything outright, but I could feel the tension in the air."Last file?" I groaned, then sighed deeply. Working on these difficult files was cathartic, a welcome distraction from my thoughts. They kept me focused on the task at hand, but I knew it was only a temporary reprieve. Once the files were complete, I'd be left with my thoughts, with no way to escape them."I wonder if Chrissy is still at the office," I mused, glancing at the clock on my phone. I took a deep breath.My p
PEDRO"I'll take a look around, and let you know if it meets my expectations," I said to the realtor, who gave a slow nod of agreement.Turning away from me, he looked around the living room, before turning back to face me. "If you don't like this one, I can find you another one in any location you'd like," he said, flashing a smile that was missing two front teeth."It's fine, I'm sure I'll like this one," I said, waving him off and turning my attention to the stairs."I'm at your service, Mr. Lopez," he said, a broad smile spreading across his face. He offered his hand for a handshake, and I took it, feeling a little more at ease.“Alright.” I retrieved my hand and turned away from him.As his footsteps faded away and the door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding."This is insane," I said aloud, chuckling mirthlessly as I took in the apartment that had once been home to Selena and baby Liam. A week ago, they had been living here, but now t
SELENAI watched from the corner as the maids dressed my son in a crisp white tuxedo. His hair was carefully curled, with a few soft strands falling across his forehead.His smile was blinding. I chuckled from my I stood, watching him pouted his round lips at his nanny.“I want to go to uncle.” he whined, shaking his head to mess up with his hair.Huh? I gulped down nothing before moving away from the door.“Uncle is not here yet.” I cleared my throat once I got behind them, grabbing their attention. “Uncle went to get you a gift.”That seemed to got to him. His purple eyes widened, a glint of pure joy shone brighter in his eyes.“Really?” he asked in his sweet little voice, turning on his seat to stare at me. “What’s the gift?”I shook my head, kneeling beside him and took his hand in mine. “It is a surprise gift uncle is planning. Of course, mommy don't know what it is.” I smiled, squeezing his hand.He pouted and nodded slowly. “What about mommy?” he asked, his lips parted, exposin
PEDRO“Tomorrow is the boy's birthday. Come to the address I mailed to you, Selena has something to say to you.” Christopher Andre’s voice erupted from the other end.I stared at my phone in shock, making sure I wasn't imaging things. But it was real, he was really calling me.“You… you know who this is, right?” I stuttered, pinching myself to keep myself from crashing to the floor.“Just do what I said.” he groaned and the call went off before I could get my thought straight.Christopher Andre was really the one who called me. After he walked out of the conference hall that night, I bet my life on it that he would never let her see me again.I was right, he terminated the contract the following day and that prove my assumption right. They never come back to the company. He took Selena away and I was so sure he would never let me see her again.“But this?” I stared at the phone, still doubting if the person who had just called was truly who I thought it was.“Why is he having a change
SELENA"You need to go," I said, struggling to free myself from his embrace. I grabbed his hand, my intention to guide him to the car, but he suddenly grabbed my elbows, his grip firm as he held me in place. His eyes searched my face, pleading with me to stay still.I could feel myself melting under the gaze of his deep purple eyes. I longed to be wrapped in his arms, just like he'd done so many times before. But I couldn't give in to that desire. I had to get him out of here, before Christopher arrived."Please, you have to go," I pleaded, my voice breaking as I rested my head on his chest. I tried to control my breathing, to calm my racing heart, before pulling away. "It would be... It would be bad if Chrissy found you here." I couldn't say the words. I couldn't tell him he was in danger. Not like this.The last thing I wanted was to tarnish Christopher's reputation, to damage his good name and possibly his career. I cared about him too much to do anything to hurt him, no matter how