Rosalie I had finally decided to leave the hospital after I was fully convinced by the doctors that Grams was now okay and stable. She was even stable enough to be discharged next week. I was so happy I could cry.I did cry a little bit.And thankfully, I didn't have to go through it alone. Anna was with me every step of the way. She even offered to take shifts, while I go shower and get some needful sleep. But, I could not let her do that for me.Grams was my family. I wanted to be the one by her side.I had this fear that something could happen to her if I wasn't by her side. And it seems Anna had picked up on it, which is why she offered. The days passed, and I was almost proud of myself for not thinking about Nicholas until I went home to get new clothes and I could almost still perceive his perfume in the room. It was like, he was engraved in my mind, body and brain.I missed him so much, but I was so hurt.Just as I got into the car to go home for the next couple of days
NicholasI was seething with anger as I drove home, my mind racing with the conversation I had just had with Rosalie, which was caused by the annoucement that Natalia made on live Television I had explained to her that Natalia wasn’t pregnant; she was lying to get my attention. Even if she were, it wouldn’t matter because I hadn’t been with her since Rosalie and I started seeing each other.“Rosalie, you have to believe me,” I had said, my voice firm yet pleading. “Natalia is just trying to manipulate you. She’s not pregnant. She’s lying.”Rosalie looked at me, her eyes filled with doubt. “But what if she is? What if you’re just saying that to make me feel better?” she said, doubt seeping from her toneI shook my head, frustration bubbling to the surface. “You have to believe me. haven’t touched her since we got together. You know that. I wouldn’t jeopardize what we have for her. She’s just trying to play games.”“But why is she doing this?” Rosalie pressed, her voice trembling.“R
Rosalie After Nicholas left this morning to confront Natalia and put an end to her charade, I made a promise to myself, nothing was going to ruin my mood today. We were back together, and our love felt renewed, like a fresh coat of paint on a weathered fence. Admittedly, my trust in him was still a work in progress, a fragile thing that needed careful handling. And guaranteed given how we started. But deep down, I believed we could make it work. I believed he wanted to be better. With that thought buoying my spirits, I walked into the hospital, determined to make the best of my day.As I entered, the sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils, a familiar scent that had become almost comforting over the past few weeks. I spotted a nurse just leaving my grandmother's room. She glanced at me with a warm smile. “Hi there, Rosalie. Your grandmother just ate and took her medication, and is preparing to go back to sleep. She’s doing well today.”My heart swelled with relief. “T
Nicholas Natalia Anderson is insane. I thought she was just desperate and angry at first, but as it turns out, she might actually be mentally unstable."What the bloody hell do you want, Natalia?" I ask. I was sick and tired of her games. Maybe giving in to her demands would work and cause her to back off.She moves closer to me, "I've told you, baby. I want you back." She whispers sultrily. I grit my teeth and look away, my heart aching despite the anger I feel. “You’re—” loud buzzing outside steals my attention, and I look out the window to find a helicopter with The Todays Herald’s branding on it hovering over our property.Alarms start to sound around the house, and the curtains start to close automatically as two of our guards rush into the room. “Mr and Mrs. Windsor, there has been a security breach. We're working on it, sir.” he quickly reassures before I have the chance to say anything.One of our guards, Ben, hands me a tablet. My heart sinks when I see the photo that ac
RosalieIt had been two weeks since the articles about me exploded across every media outlet, and I felt like I was living in a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. The first few days had been a whirlwind of emotions—anger, confusion, and a heavy sense of betrayal. Nicholas had called me twice, both times filled with alot of apologies rather than genuine conversation. I understood he must feel terrible about everything that had happened, but I craved more than just his remorse. I wanted to talk to him, to distract myself from the chaos swirling around me. I needed to be sure that I wasn't the only one hanging on to what he have once this phase was over. Because that's what it was... a phase. But each time he sounded more detached, as if he were speaking through a fog.The last time we spoke, he had given me a rushed excuse about being busy and ended the call abruptly. I had tried calling him numerous times after that, but he never answered. It felt like he was slipping away fr
Nicholas I sat at my desk, buried under a mountain of paperwork, trying to focus on the tasks at hand.The office was quiet, the kind of silence that felt heavy and oppressive. I had been avoiding distractions, but the guilt gnawed at me like a persistent itch I couldn't scratch. My mind kept drifting back to Rosalie, and the way she had sounded on the phone those few times we spoke. Each call ended with me trying to push her away and constantly apologising and her voice laced with sadness, I felt like I was losing her all over again. And I couldn't do anything about it this time. Atleast not until I get rid of Natalia.Just as I was about to bury myself deeper in work, the door to my office burst open. Ares stormed in, his expression a mix of anger and concern. “What the hell is wrong with you, Nick?” he demanded, his voice echoing off the walls.I blinked, taken aback by his sudden outburst. “What the hell is wrong with me? You're the one barging into my office and asking me
Third PovChristopher Harper sat at his desk, the glow of multiple screens illuminating the dimly lit room. As the head of security for the Sinclair family, he was used to dealing with crises, but the text that just pinged on his phone sent a jolt of worry through him. The message was from Nicholas, the only person he owed a favor to, and it was sent from a different number.His instincts kicked in. “This can’t be good,” he muttered, connecting the dots and realizing that Nicholas's phone must be bugged. He quickly typed a response.Christopher: Meet me at The Trident.He hit send and gathered what he needed, ensuring he was prepared for anything. The Trident was a discreet location, away from prying eyes, and he knew it would provide the privacy they needed to discuss whatever was troubling Nicholas. An hour later, Nicholas walked in, looking worn and tense. They exchanged pleasantries, but Christopher could see the shadows under Nicholas’s eyes.“I got your message,” Christ
Rosalie The past few days had been a blur of grief and preparations. After the hospital prepared Grams' body, Anna and Ares stepped in to help with everything needed for the burial ceremony. Their support was invaluable, but even with their help, the weight of my loss felt suffocating.I didn’t know many people, so I decided on a small gathering at the cemetery with just a pastor to officiate the service. I remembered Grams saying she wanted to be buried immediately, not wanting her body to linger in the morgue. At the time I had laughed it off and told her not too worry, because she's not dying soon.And now she's gone.I was determined to fulfill her wish, even if it meant facing the pain of saying goodbye sooner than I was ready for.As I prepared for the funeral, I pulled out the black dress Grams had given me long ago. It was a beautiful piece, and I loved how it made me feel. I slipped it on, admiring the way it hugged my figure, and for a brief moment, I felt a flicker o
Rosalie A year had passed since the whirlwind of my tour ended, and now I stood at the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Nicholas and I had returned home, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how far we had come. I remembered the day I announced my engagement to Anna, her face lighting up with joy as she squealed and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Oh my gosh, Rosalie! You’re getting married!” she had exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. We had laughed and cried and laughed again while we watched romcom and drank ice cream, feeling a warmth in my heart that I had never known before. After that, I had rushed to visit Grams to share the news. I could still picture how her face would lighten up and what she would say if she was here, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “Oh, my sweet Rosie, I always knew you’d find someone special,” she would say, her voice filled with pride. I had told her everything—the proposal, the plans, and how Nicholas had swept me o
Rosalie It's been a month since Nicholas proposed to me. We decided to keep it a surprise from everyone until after I was done touring. At first, I didn't know how Anna was going to feel about Nicholas and I getting back together, and I told him about it. That was until he told me how she had come to his office and gave him the longest and most useful pep talk of his life. He also kept his word and followed me to work and waited every single day. And the gifts never stopped even though we were back together.The tour ended with a grand exhibition attended by the movers and shakers of oak view’s art world. The exhibition took place in a big hall, and every photgrapher had their own section in the pop-up gallery.It was exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and utterly surreal.I stared at my little slice of heaven and the people passing through it, dressed to the nines and examining each piece with what I hoped were admiring eyes.I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a photographer over the
Nicholas That’s Scorpio.” Rosalie pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”I followed her gaze toward the constellation. It looked like any other cluster of stars.“Mmmhmm. Looks great.”She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you lying?”“I see stars. Lots of them.”Rosalie huffed out a half groan, half laugh. “You’re hopeless, Nicholas.”“I told you, I’m not and never will be an astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view and the company.” I kissed the top of her head.We lay on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort in Caravans Desert, one of the top stargazing destinations. After all the shit that’d gone down last month, this was the perfect place to reset now that she has given me another chance. So I brought her to this resort six days ago. We’d spent the past four days hiking volcanoes, luxuriating in hot springs, and exploring sand dunes. My assistant had nearly keeled over with shock when I told her I was
Rosalie My dates with Nicholas had been really successful. And he lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my daily photography time. Other times, especially when I was with other people or exploring the city on the weekends, he was less conspicuous, but he was there. I felt his presence even though I couldn’t see him.I never thought Nicholas Sinclair would become my stalker, but there we were.On top of that, gifts arrived every day. By the boatload.By the end of the first week, my apartment looked like I was opening an indoor garden. I donated everything to a local hospital—the roses of every color, the vivid purple orchids and sweet white lilies, the cheerful sunflowers and delicate peonies.By the end of the second week, I owned enough jewelry to make the Duchess of Cambridge green with env
Rosalie After our date, the gifts didn't stop. They kept coming. By the end of the third week, I was knee-deep in gourmet chocolates, gift baskets, and custom-made desserts. I didn’t care about fancy jewels or flowers, so those gifts didn’t matter to me. It was the little things that tore holes in my heart—the red velvet cupcakes that spelled out I’m Sorry; a rare, vintage Japanese camera I’d searched for for years but had never found for sale. By the end of the fourth week, I was torn between tearing my hair out in frustration and crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide. “We need to talk,” I said Friday afternoon after I left my lighting techniques workshop. Nicholas lounged against a light pole outside the building, infuriatingly gorgeous in jeans and a white T-shirt. Aviators hid his eyes, but the intensity of his gaze seared through the glasses and burned into my flesh. “Sure,” Nicholas said, unfazed by the attention he was getting. He was probably used to it. While he foll
Rosalie I didn’t move back in with Nicholas. Part of me wanted to, but I wasn’t ready to jump in with both feet again so soon.I did, however, agree to another date with him.Three days after our movie night, we arrived at a quiet corner of the Oak View Botanic Garden. It was a gorgeous afternoon, all clear skies and golden sunshine, and the picnic setup looked like something out of a fairytale.A low wooden table stretched across a thick ivory blanket, surrounded by huge cushions, gold and glass floor lanterns, and an oversized wicker hamper. The table itself was set with porcelain plates and a feast of foods, including baguettes, charcuterie, and desserts.It was amazing. And Nicholas lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my workshops.Other times, especially when I was with other peo
Nicholas "My sweet girl, it’s so nice to see you!” Freya brushed past me and swept Rosalie up in a hug. She only used the sweet girl endearment for her grandchildren, but apparently, she’d extended it to Rosalie. “The house isn’t the same without you.”I scowled at her pointed tone. She’d given me the cold treatment all week. I was pretty sure she’d burned my pork chops on purpose the other night. I’d forced down two bites before I gave up and ordered takeout. It wasn’t just her, either; even Edward my driver had cast disapproving glances my way when he thought I wasn’t looking.My staff didn’t know what happened with Rosalie amd I. They only knew she was gone, and they blamed me for it.Hell, I blamed myself too, which was why I was trying to make amends.I’d spent the past couple of days since my call with Rosalie planning the date, and my nerves were a humiliating wreck. I hadn’t been this nervous since I was a high school freshman asking out the most popular girl in school.
NicholasOne ring. Two. Three.I paced my room, my stomach twisted with nerves as I waited for her to answer.It was ten-thirty, which meant she was getting ready for bed. She usually took an hour to wind down with a shower or a bath, depending on how stressed she was; a bafflingly intricate ten-step skincare routine, and some reading, if she wasn’t too tired.I’d timed my call so I’d catch her after she got out of the shower.Four rings. Five.Assuming, of course, she picked up my call.My nerves pulled tighter.Rosalie gave me her number that afternoon, which meant she wanted me to call, right? If she didn’t, she would’ve simply left. Hell, a part of me had expected her to.I’d lingered in that damn coffee shop for almost two hours on the off chance I’d see her. She went there every day, but her timing varied depending on her workload.It wasn’t the world’s greatest plan, but it’d worked, even if it’d meant skipping a lunch video call meeting.Six rings. Sev—“Hello?” Her voice flow
Rosalie “Hey, Rosalie. The usual?”“Yes, please. Make it four,” I said as the barista rang me up. I frequented the coffee shop near the main building so often they’d memorized my order. “Thanks, Sue.”“No problem.” She smiled. “See you tomorrow.”I paid and moved to the pickup area, only half looking at where I was going. I was too distracted by the flood of new messages scrolling across my screen. Mostly from Anna and maybe one or two from Ares.With the way she sent numerous messages at once, one would think she's in trouble.She probably wanted to congratulate me on the success of the Picture Ball. According to her and Sarah, news outlets had deemed it “one of the most exquisite balls in the Picture Balls history” in their Sunday style roundup, which meant I woke up that morning with even more messages crowding my inbox.It was only Monday, and I already had twenty-two new client inquiries, five interview requests, and countless invitations to balls, screenings, and private par