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Marriage proposal

Penulis: Esther
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-02 14:07:08

I know it's not ideal," he said, his voice strained but steady, "but it's the only way to protect Hazel from my mother's threats."

"You've got to be kidding me, Jaxon," I shot back, shaking my head. "This is insane. A fake engagement? You think this is the solution? How is this even going to work?

Isabel, we have to do something," he said now, his tone softer, almost pleading. "I can't let her tear us apart. I can't let her take Hazel away."

I paused, his words hitting harder than I anticipated. I knew Jaxon's mom had been a real force to be reckoned with, but hearing him admit how far she was willing to go tied my stomach up in knots.

"I'm not saying it's perfect," he added, his eyes a little closer to mine, "but let's just put on an act, pretend that we are a family-she'll back off. For now, Hazel's safety and future are what matter most in life.

I swallowed hard, that knot in my throat growing tighter. I could see it now, the desperation in Jaxon's eyes. This wasn't just about his
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  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Engagement arrangement

    "I don't know about this, Jaxon," I whispered, and my heart just drummed within my chest as my palms became clammy again. Moving for what felt like the hundredth time the low neckline of the dress, I wasn't sure if it was the weight of it or heaviness of the situation which made me uncomfortable.Jaxon looked at me from across the room, a small, reassuring smile on his face. He was calm, far too calm for my liking, as he surveyed the crowd gathered at the gala. This was supposed to be a high-profile event, one where we were supposed to make an impact, but I hadn't expected this to be the way we'd do it.“This is for Hazel,” Jaxon reminded me gently, his voice low, but strong, “We have to do this. It’ll be fine. We’ll handle it together, just like we’ve been doing.”I swallowed the knot in my throat and nodded. Of course, he was right. This wasn't about us; it was about making sure Hazel stayed in our lives, and his mother wouldn't be able to manipulate her way into taking her away. St

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-03
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Forced Kissed

    I couldn't believe it. I had barely gotten used to the idea of faking this engagement with Jaxon, and now he made the stakes way worse. We'd been mingling with the guests in the gala for what felt like hours, and just when I thought the night couldn't get more uncomfortable, Jaxon turned to me with a look in his eyes that I couldn't read."You're gonna have to trust me on this one, Isabel," he said in a low but urgent tone."About what?" I asked, skipping a heartbeat. He said that as if he were going to do something. extreme. And to be honest, I wasn't prepared for anything else extreme after the announcement.I'm going to kiss you," he said matter-of-factly, as if he were telling me the weather.I stared at him, my eyes wide. "What? No, you can't be serious," I hissed. "We're already pretending. This is-""It's for the media," he cut in, his face softening. "For my family. It's the only way to make it real. They need to see it. It'll make them believe we're really engaged.Before I c

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-03
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Mother's first attack

    The invitation had arrived in a sleek, cream-colored envelope, one that seemed to be for royalty. Jaxon's mother was inviting me over for tea, she said, to "formally" meet and get to know the woman who was supposedly going to be her daughter-in-law. As the days went by, the dread in the pit of my stomach just grew. I knew better than to take her sweet, polite words at face value. Nothing with her was ever that cut and dried. Still, I couldn't back out now, not after everything that had already happened.But once I finally made it to her house, it was everything I expected: grand, luxurious, with just that touch of coldness that screamed, I have money and power, and I want you to know it. Her house had the appearance of a palace, with modern art and expensive furniture decorating it. The windows allowed in a glimpse of a sprawled garden, and everything about it felt designed to intimidate.Jaxon's mother, Eleanor, greeted me at the door with a courteous smile, her handshake firm enough

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Engagement interview

    The moment I stepped inside the studio, I was plunged onto a stage. Blinding lights, cameras standing like a thousand beady eyes waiting to pounce, and people milling about in a blur of frenetic motion. They weren't here for me. No, they were here for the story, the one that had been so carefully orchestrated and was about to be broadcast for the world to see. A sham engagement. A love story spun for public consumption.I could feel the weight of the situation pressing on my chest. The air was thick with expectation, and the smile I was forcing onto my face felt so tight, so unnatural.Jaxon moved with ease, however, through the chaos. Smooth, composed, already deep in conversation with one of the producers, he seemed to have done this a hundred times before. His smile was effortless, his posture confident. The man looked like he was born to be in front of a camera."Isabel, you ready?" Jaxon asked, turning toward me with that look in his face, the one which made me doubt everything.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Jealousy trap

    I hadn't expected to feel anything. I really hadn't. But there I was, sitting across the room, watching Jaxon laugh with the woman his mother had practically dragged him over to. She was an heiress, tall and impeccably dressed in a designer dress that probably cost more than my rent for a year. Her golden locks fell down her back, like an ad for some shampoo, as she stared into Jaxon as if he held the answer to every one of her prayers.It wasn't like I had any reason to feel jealous. I mean, this was a setup, right? It was all part of the deal. A show for the public. I was here to play my part, just like Jaxon was. But damn, watching him talk to her like that-like they had history-it twisted something inside me. Something sharp and unfamiliar.She was laughing at something he said. Jaxon's hand lay casually on the back of her chair, like they were in some cozy little café, not at his mother's ridiculous "welcome tea" where everything was just for show. His mother had insisted on invi

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-05
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Lauren's return

    I hadn't expected her to show up—at least, not today. The door into Jaxon's office burst open without so much as a knock, and there she was. Lauren. As if nothing had changed.My heart fell the moment I saw her, standing there in the doorway, like she owned the place, that smug grin pasted on her face. And before I could grasp it all, she was going right toward Jaxon's desk, the manila envelope held triumphantly in her hand."Hey, stranger," she said in that sugary sweet voice I used to hear so often. The one that made you feel like you were the only person in the room, but you never really were.Jaxon didn't look up from his paperwork, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "What's this?" he asked, his voice a little tighter than usual.Lauren didn't say another word. Her eyes stayed on mine, moving slow and sultry, like she'd been savouring my reaction. Lauren knew damn well what she was doing, and I despised her for it.Without looking away, she let the envelope fall with a soft thu

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-05
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Evidence of the Scandal

    I could feel the weight of the envelope in my hands, its contents pressing against my skin like a promise of something I wasn't sure I wanted to know. The picture that had been taped to the front, the one that sent a chill down my spine, still lay in front of me, but now there was more. More than what I wasn't sure I could trust.Jaxon stood opposite me, his arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadable. He'd told me it was a lie, but the knot in my stomach didn't loosen. I wanted to believe him. God, I did. But every second that passed, my mind seemed to unravel a little more."Isabel." Jaxon's voice was low, the calmness in it a betrayal of the tension that had already begun to seep in between us. "I know how this looks. But it's not true. You have to trust me."I didn't know what to say to him. He stood there, broad shoulders tense, yet still so much the man with whom I had spent weeks-the man who had held me when I was scared, the man who kissed me as if nothing else in the wor

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-06
  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Heated confrontation

    "Jaxon!" I couldn't keep the edge out of my voice anymore. I'd tried, really, but everything inside me was breaking apart. "Why won't you just tell me what the hell's going on?"We stood in our living room, the same one where we had shared so many quiet nights, but tonight, it felt like the whole world was breaking apart. I didn't realize how much I'd kept inside until that moment.He stood there, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes cold. I could tell he was trying to hold himself together, but the tension in the room was unbearable. It wasn't just the mess with the fake financial records and the staged photos; it was everything that had been building up between us, all of the things unsaid, doubts and fears creeping into every word.I told you, Isabel, this is all a setup." His tone was sharp but laced with desperation, too, as though begging me to listen, yet his words carried no such message. "How many times have I got to say it? It's not true.But how can I believe you?" I felt my fr

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-06

Bab terbaru

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Happy Ending: Family photos

    Two more snows had fallen. The members of the international class noticed that ever since Maureen returned from the final round, the atmosphere between her and their "boss" seemed to have subtly changed. Before the final round, they seemed inseparable, obviously lovebirds. After the finals, who knows what happened? Or if it's just their imagination, but Maureen appeared to care more about their "boss," almost like an eagle protecting a chick. For instance, their class advisor, Teacher Logan. Because of Liam, Teacher Logan hadn't received a performance bonus in three years, and his resentment was more than justified. Finally, after Maureen transferred into their class this semester, the number of incidents involving Liam dramatically decreased. Teacher Logan thought he could relax a bit, but the last school celebration performance was unexpectedly changed by Liam! The school leaders were furious. Now, this month's bonus was gone again! Teacher Logan was so enraged with Liam th

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Complete family

    The two hadn't had their fill over there, so they decided to cook some noodles when they got back. "I'm actually a little angry." Maureen stirred the noodles in the pot with a long pair of spoons, her tone still choked with emotion. She avoided looking at Liam, her eyes lowered on the boiling water and the tumbling noodles in the pot, her eyes rimmed red, "I asked you before, about the wound on your neck, you told me that the instant noodle glass bowl exploded! Do you have no heart, no feelings?" Maureen couldn't help but drop her Spoon. She should have realized it long ago, she had been living there for so long, and she had never seen Liam eat instant noodles - his refrigerator was completely empty, not a single instant noodle or glass bowl, what noodles was he supposedly making?! Liam was always lying to her! Seeing Maureen crying all the way back in the cold wind, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts, Liam felt deeply distressed. He lightly patted Maureen's back, trying t

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Hazel's big 8 day

    Maureen was the first to take a bath. After Liam entered the bathroom, Maureen wandered around the apartment in her fluffy pajamas, bored out of her mind. Being in love is such a fascinating thing. Before, besides studying, she found dramas and games enjoyable. Yet, after falling in love, when he was not by her side even for a moment, she got bored no matter what she did. Nothing was as fun as spending time with Liam. She wanted to do everything with him, whether it was watching dramas or eating. Just one glance from him, and her feelings could experience the dramatic waves, drowning in the deep ocean, the best bite of a summer watermelon, or the tartest segment of an orange. The spacious apartment changed gradually after Maureen moved in. Maureen was like an invader, painting the previously icy and quiet apartment with colors everywhere. She was afraid of the cold, so Liam always had the heater on, causing the previous bone-chilling feeling to disappear. She was afraid of t

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Hazel in a Cinderella gown

    There's a small step at the entrance where shoes are changed. Liam leans on the shoe cabinet to stand up, and Mr. Boris carries his wheelchair in. Liam hops up on one foot. He glances at Maureen, trying to hop in a nonchalant and handsome manner. But how cool and handsome could he possibly look hopping around on a single foot? Liam feels a bit embarrassed, murmuring discontented, "Who decided to put this step here?" Maureen watches from the side, her heart pounding. She subconsciously raises her hand to help him, fearing a second injury due to a slippery tiled floor. However, Liam, who seems to intentionally show off his skills, or something like that, refuses her help and smoothly completes a series of movements. Maureen: "Once he's up, Mr. Boris quickly pushes the wheelchair behind him. He holds onto the handles, sits back down in the wheelchair, raises one plastered leg, and with great effort, positions his plastered foot correctly. He then raises his handsome eyebrows a

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Hazel's birthday plans

    The next day, Teacher Logan specifically noticed that it was again Maureen who was pushing Liam's wheelchair into the classroom. The group of boys in the class were extremely envious, while Liam coolly tucked his hands into his pockets, raised his chin, and wore noise-canceling headphones around his neck. He looked both arrogant and pleased. Liam wished he could show off Maureen to the entire world. Teacher Logan, on the other hand, was extremely frustrated. Right after the class, Teacher Logan asked Maureen to his office with a stern face. "Has someone been bullying you in the class recently?" Maureen was taken aback,?" No." Teacher Logan sighed deeply and said, "Maureen, you can tell me if someone is bullying you. I will back you up." Maureen thought for a moment and really couldn't think of anyone who could bully her. In fact, when she transferred to the international class, she had made the most important decision to stick with Liam. This could be the so-called stra

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Nothing more

    The three of them came out of KFC, it was so blistering cold that Liam put Maureen's hand into his own pocket. Niel, with his sharp eyes, suddenly called out to Maureen and pointed in a direction with his milk tea in hand, he said: "Am I seeing things, or is that Bianca? Is she dating someone now?" Bianca's contract with the talent agency, Maureen heard about it too. For the past month, Maureen had barely seen Bianca in school. She seemed to have disappeared completely from her sight, someone she used to bump into every few days on the streets. The main reason was that even though the controversy of the true and false heiress was over, Bianca still faced some stares. If it wasn't for the sake of graduation, Bianca wouldn't want to attend school at all. She spent most of her time in society, working. So, seeing Bianca again out of the blue at the school gate was quite a surprise for Maureen. She followed the direction Niel pointed and glanced over. Outside Secondary School wa

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Sample

    "Sir," The butler came in with a phone in hand. "The hospital replied they are willing to sell, but," Under Augustin’s gaze, he swallowed hard before continuing. "The price is three times higher than what we previously sold it for." "Three times?!" Victoria widened her eyes in surprise, her voice sharp. "This is downright robbery!!" Augustin’s eyes darkened, his face looking extremely unsightly. "Did they specify why the increase in price?" "They said someone is willing to purchase at a high price, which led to the price hike." The butler nodded affirmatively. "So, do you still want to buy it?" Augustin pressed his lips together. Before he could even speak, Victoria on the side grabbed the opportunity to interject. "We cannot buy it,” There was a hint of anger on her slightly chubby face. "Augustine, we can't be the scapegoats." "What do you know?" Augustin looked at her with deep, mysterious eyes, his voice icy. "In a few days, it will be grandpa Luther's birthday ban

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    keep my family safe

    The house was dead quiet. The type of quiet that feels too still, as if everything were holding its breath. The letter had left its mark, but I tried to shove it away. We'd already been through enough, and I refused to let something like this get the better of us. Jaxon was right; it was only a prank. Nothing more.Already Hazel had gone to bed, which left Jaxon and me still sitting in the living room trying to process it all. I was holding our son, this tiny little ball of a boy cuddled into my side, his soft, light breath a reminder of the fragility but beauty life had become. And in this uneventful drive home, at least, I felt normal settle over us.Jaxon sat across from me, his eyes scanning the letter again, as if willing it to change. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make sense. Who would want to hurt us now?”I shrugged, glancing down at our baby’s sleeping face. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s someone who never really let go.”He let out a deep sigh. "

  • Mommy, I found us a Daddy for Christmas    Mysterious letter

    Laughter and murmurs of quiet conversation filled the house. It was so still, so right with the world. I had never felt this relaxed in my life. I was seated on the couch, Hazel perched on the arm beside me, as we watched Jaxon bounce our son in his arms. He looked so natural with the baby, like he had done this all his life. And in many ways, he had-just never with a child of his own. But that didn't matter. We were here, together; our little family was complete."Did you see the way he smiled?" Hazel laughed. "He's definitely a charmer. Takes after his dad."Jaxon was smirking, rocking the baby gently. "I think he is more like his mom. Look at those big eyes."I grinned, knowing full well what he meant. The baby had my eyes, sure, but he also got my stubbornness. I could tell that already.But before I could answer, there came a soft knock on the door. I turned, wondering who it could be. It was still early, and I wasn't expecting anyone. Jaxon stood up, a bit too quick, and I caugh

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