VICTOR.... I stared at my little bird, in a daze... Her words seemed to be like a hard puzzle, jamming up my brain. "What?" I murmured. She blinked. Perhaps she realized my non-functional mind. She smiled and caressed her belly with my hand. "Mr. Chairman, you are going to be a father." And I froze... I did not expect it. Everything started blurring before my vision, and I felt ticklish under my eyes. Bella gasped, slowly raised her hands, and touched my cheeks. "You're crying, baby." She kissed my tears away. Hold on... I was crying? I touched my face and... she was right, I was crying. But I did not intend to cry. I... I don't know how it feels. This sensation, it was too new to me. I felt so light, as if floating in the sky. There were no worries or sorrows, just me, my little bird, and perhaps... our child. Wait... "Our child." I murmur the words, tasting them on my tongue. It feels so simple, yet so heavy to bear. I look down at her belly. "Our..." I mutter again, "I am go
BELLATRIX.... Today was a mix of emotions—some bad and some remarkable. But the most vivid part was when I told Victor about our pregnancy; the experience was tremendous. I never expected to see tears in his eyes. He has always been strong and surrounded by a powerful demeanor, no matter what the situation is; he handles matters so decisively. Today, seeing that man crying over the news made me feel so delighted. I caressed my belly and smiled to myself. Undoubtedly, he will be an amazing father. "Seems so happy, little leaf?" Startled, I looked back at the owner of the voice. Roy was standing near the stairs with his hands in his pockets. His brow was raised at me as he walked forward. "You are home early; did something good happen?" Pursing my lips, I shrugged. "Well, if getting fired is considered good, then yes." He paused, his smiling face slowly turned into a frowning one. "What?" I couldn't help but chuckle, "Yeah, that's right. Right after I entered the office, I was f
ROY STAFFORD.... I walked out of the Imperial Palace and sat in my car. I drove out of the parking area and drove for a long time, only to stop in an empty place. Sigh... She thinks I had an important call, but I did not. It was just a random official call that somehow gave me a chance to leave. It was hard. It hurts... Seeing her so happy with someone else rips my heart. Years ago, when I was a teenage girl, I first arrived with Mama. I ignored her. I am quite a bit older than she is and was a loner, especially after being backstabbed by Victor. It wasn't intentional, though; in fact, Victor didn't even know... I grew up with Victor, and since childhood, he had overshadowed me in every subject, from studies to behavior and matters of the heart. Yes, matters of the heart... The girl I liked was always chasing after him. She only got close to me because I was sharing the same residence with him. Over time, my disliking toward him grew, and so I moved to America with Mama. She us
ROY STAFFORD.... I parked my car in the huge parking area of the restaurant—one of the expensive restaurants in the city where Florence Valdez had asked me to meet. Frankly, getting her call was way too unexpected for me. At first, I wanted to hang up on her, but then I decided to see her. Florence approaching me was not just a random move; the woman who perhaps had never heard of me knows my closeness with Bellatrix and called me. Something bigger is about to drop, and I do not want to let it go. I want to learn why she turned to me. If I am not wrong, it's rented to Bellatrix. Getting out of the car, I entered the restaurant and looked around. A woman waved at me, and with one glance, I realized it was Florence. I had seen her once in a photo, but I mostly recognized her because, to me, she resembles Mrs. Valdez a lot, which was quite surprising considering she wasn't related to their bloodline. Or it could be my delusion too, as I have seen Mrs. Valdez only in her photos... I
VICTOR.... Perhaps I did not realize it initially, but now I know why Grandpa had kept my parents' death a secret. He wasn't only hiding the killers of my parents but also protecting both Bella and me. Some secrets must remain a secret. Whoever said it did not lie. The people involved in this are too selfish to even consider their own children. They would do anything to gain what they wanted, even if it costs the lives of their families. I never expected Brandon Valdez to be involved in my parents' murder. His desperate greed to be one of the elites has led him down a path that never brings happiness. Or maybe the joy of that family was ruined from the very beginning, even before the birth of my little bird. It's been a month since I learned about my parents' culprits. Since then, I have had my men checking the entire background of both the Valdez and Ryder families, collecting evidence to acquire my position as the Chairman of RD Corporation LTD. Though Ryders turns out not to b
BELLATRIX.... The night was quite pleasing. My husband did not fail to keep his promise to make me all sore; still, I am somewhat sensitive to having him locked within me... Well, it's just my imagination. In reality, he had to leave for work earlier this morning. I don't complain, though. My desire needs to be tamed, which has been flowing out of control recently. Maybe it's the effect of pregnancy; I have heard this happens... I rolled off the bed and saw the clock. It's past eleven, almost midday. Sigh... Since I have been sitting at home, my habits have been ruining. The fact that I am overly spoiled by my husband is true. But what can I do? He is so good at loving me that he makes me melt each time, and I have become a night owl now. Stretching my body, I entered the shower. After having a warm shower, my body relaxed as I stood in front of the mirror, checking myself out... After my pregnancy, this has become my favorite part of the routine. Although I know my belly won't
BELLATRIX.... I sat in the waiting area in silence. The abrupt encounter with Florence in the hospital... Her DNA test... Everything started taking a toll on my heart. The truth that her parents had died and that she was later adopted by my parents, along with the sudden DNA test, raised so many questions within me. Most importantly, with whom is she matching her DNA? As I was lost in my thoughts, the nurse called me next. My gynecologist is out of the delivery room. Setting aside my thoughts for a moment, I stood up and went to my gynecologist's chamber. "Hello, Mrs. Dubov. How are you today?" she asked with a polite smile. "Thank you, Doctor. I am doing well," I replied with the same smile and sat in the chair opposite her desk. She asked me a few questions regarding my health and how I was handling it. I informed her about my severe morning sickness, to which she said it happens, especially during the first pregnancy. She prescribed me some specific nutrients and some exercis
VICTOR.... "Chairman, there is news from Dr. Izaak and Gynaec Ellen," Luis informed me. My fingers paused on the keyboard of my laptop as I looked up and frowned. "What is it?" "Mrs. Dubov has been admitted to the hospital, and her regular checkup is complete. Both she and the baby are fine," he said, which relieved me. That was the most important news to me. I was supposed to accompany her for the checkup, but urgent evidence about Ambrose related to my parents' death had forced me to go out of the city, so I could not go with my little bird and had lied to her. She had sensed my tension already; no matter how hard I tried, I could not hide that from her and had to lie with the excuse of workload. Considering my position and power, she did not doubt it, thankfully. "Hmm," I nodded. "What's the news from Dr. Izaak?" I asked. Anyone barely knows that Dr. Izaak, one of the best surgeons in the country and the vice chairman of the hospital, works for me. Valcro has invested in man