FIVE YEARS LATER
Alessandro’s POVI heaved a sigh of despair as my eyes landed on her dress which was the only memory of her that I had left.Initially, I had wanted to burn it as I did the rest of her belongings, but something from within had restrained me from doing so, thus I had left it in the closet.Nowadays, whenever I saw it, it always awoke a mixture of misery, despondency, and fury that was directed towards myself.The universe had blessed me with the most precious jewel of inestimable value but I had been so indifferent about her and had broken her both emotionally and physically.The memory of how I had forced her to satisfy my sexual needs on the third anniversary of our marriage still haunted me every second of my wretched life.I had it all.And I literally meant it.I had several fleets of cars, five estates, abundant wealth, literally everything the average man wanted yet a hollow pit of sadness still existed in my heart.Fuck, how could I have been so cruel to a pure soul like Catherine?Why had I chosen to divorce her for Laura?She had the purest soul ever. To me, she was an angel in human form because there was no other explanation as to how and why she put up with me maltreating her while we were married."I miss you every fucking day, baby," I muttered, pressing the dress against my nose to inhale lungfuls of her natural, calming scent which was now faint.In all honesty, I had no idea how it all started.How I had gone from a loving husband to a beast within the span of three months.Putting the blame on Laura was completely out of it because I could have told her that I wasn't interested in rekindling old flames.I should have never asked her for a meetup when I learned that she had returned to America.I could have told her that I had the most caring wife ever.I could have warned her against showing up at my office for unofficial purposes.My stupid self had made every day a living hell for Catherine.I had looked everywhere for her yet all my efforts proved abortive.The only time my hopes were high was last year, when my assistant, Marco, had informed me that Catherine was sighted in Japan.Without bothering to confirm from my private investigators, I boarded my chopper immediately to Japan.My hope dwindled when I got to Japan airport that day and Marco called to tell me that the person only looked like her.It was as if the universe was trying to tell me that no matter how much wealth I had, I would never be able to find her; the key to my happiness."Alessandro!" Laura's chirpy voice drifted into my ears and snapped me out of it.Sighing, I returned the gown into the closet before donning my tie.The security men would take care of her."Alessandro, you fucking bastard!" Laura yelled again, but I paid her no mind."Please leave, Miss Laura. Boss doesn't want to speak to you," I heard the distinguishable voice of my butler, Hopkins."Does it look like a give a fuck, you old thing?" She barked.How the hell had security been so dense that she entered my house?Hadn't I told them to make sure that she never set foot into my estate?"Stupid fuckers," I seethed, grabbing my phone from the bed and placing a call to the security office.They picked up at the first ring. "Good day, Sir Alessandro. How m-""Do I not pay you guys for your jobs or what?" I snarled."You do, sir. Even more than what we deserve," The person replied. "Did something happen, sir?""Can you imagine? Didn't I warn you against letting Laura into the estate? Why the hell is she shouting in my mansion? Do you want me to fire all of you or what?" I gritted out, clenching my hand into a fist."Definitely not, sir," He said. "I'm so sorry about that. I'll see to it that she leaves immediately.""Just get the hell off my phone," I snapped, and hung up.Almost immediately, Laura was whisked away by security and tranquility was finally restored to my abode.I could still remember the day Catherine left vividly.+FLASHBACK"Where is the sales memo?" I snapped at Marco, and he frowned."You have it, sir. I gave it to you yesterday.""Then, why can't I find it?" I spat, as the memories from the night before rushed in.On getting home last night, I had served Catherine the divorce agreement and had been elated as she wept crocodile tears.Afterward, I headed to the study to do some work.However, while reviewing the sales memo, a voice urged me to go to Catherine's room and I did.Somehow, we ended up having sex, even though that wasn't what I had planned.Having sex with her had been such a bore.As usual, she had pretended not to like it and had wept as I fucked her.She was such an annoying wench and a useless liability who didn’t know her place.Her vagina was all she had to offer yet she had the audacity to tell me that she wasn’t in the mood."Fuck, I truly forgot it at home," I muttered. "Go to my place and get it for me. It's in the study.""Very well then, sir." Marco bowed, and left.About thirty minutes later, I received a call from him."Have you seen it?" I asked."Yes, sir," He responded. "But I saw something else, sir.Marco sounded a bit off.What could he have seen?"What is it?""A divorce agreement," He said, and I scoffed."Is it signed?”"Yes, sir,” He replied. “Ma’am Catherine is also not at home.”Surprisingly, she didn’t waste time in signing the divorce agreement.I thought I’d have to force her to inscribe her signature on it because she could be a stubborn bitch."Don't worry about it," I retorted. "Just come here with the sales memo."And with that, I cut the call.For the first time ever, Catherine had done something smart.FLASHBACK ENDS.+I signed my part of the paperwork when I got home later that day.Initially, I was beyond thrilled at the fact that I was now divorced and free from Catherine.However, as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, the elation I had initially felt started to diminish.It was on the fourth anniversary of our wedding that I realized I needed her back in my life.Things with Laura had gone south about six months after she left because I was too fixated on finding Catherine, that I didn't realize I was doing so, because I missed her and could barely function without her.I checked everywhere ranging from hospitals to airports but couldn't find her.It was as if Catherine had disappeared into thin air.Even with that, I was still hellbent on finding her and I didn't care how much resources I lost in the long run.All that mattered to me was finding her."Breakfast, sir?" My private chef, a middle-aged lady called Patricia, asked as I strode into the dining room."Just prepare dinner," I said. "Make whatever you deem fit."As expected, Laura couldn't believe that I wanted out of our weird relationship.At first, she would show up unannounced at my workplace to beg me to take her back.Later, she took on a more aggressive approach after I barred her from my company, and started coming to my house to yell that I was hers and hers alone.She would also yell profanities and different sorts of bullshit like a deranged person.The stupid restraining order was taking a long time to process, so I hadn't been able to file one against her."Please come back to me, Catherine," I whispered to myself moments later, on my way to work.FIVE YEARS LATERCatherine’s POV "Okay, so his blood pressure is now stable," I said, gazing at the waves on the heart monitor. "You did great, guys.""It's all thanks to you, doctor Williams," One of the nurses said, as she handed me a pair of tongs.Currently, I was in the midst of a major brain surgery.The patient had almost lost his life in a car crash some hours ago due to his reckless driving.Thankfully, the surgery was a success but I would make sure to give him a strict warning when he woke up."I will leave the rest to you guys, then," I said, placing the forceps on the instrument table.Afterward, I headed out of the theater where the mother of the patient was waiting and dumped my surgery outfit into the trash can.I was now clad in just a pair of teal scrubs.The poor woman looked exhausted and her eyes were as red as cherry, probably because she had been crying ever since her son was rushed in here."Doctor Williams!" She shot up from her seat and sprinted up to me. "H
Alessandro’s POV "Welcome, dear," Grandma grinned, as I embraced her in a warm hug."You look radiant, ma. The ever gorgeous beauty of Santos Island," I grinned, when we broke the hug."Oh, please, dear," She scoffed, but giggled anyway. "It's so nice seeing you again. You know I was thinking; what if I never get to see my Alessandro's children before I pass on?"“Stop thinking like that, ma.” I chided her, and she just gave me a bored look, as we both headed into the dining room, where my mother was sitting and already plating her own food.Upon seeing Grandma and I, she darted us a smile before averting her focus back to her food.You see, Grandma had finished her last dose of chemotherapy a week ago, after undergoing a brain tumor removal surgery a month back.We had all been scared when her neurologist told us that her tumor could metastasize as cancer into her liver and other vital organs.Thankfully, that didn't happen and now, she was up and active on both feet, without the ai
Catherine’s POV "Mummy, we are in America!" Liam squealed, as he bounced down the stairs of the helicopter, with Mr Thomas following closely behind him."Be careful, sweetie," I sighed, tightly holding onto Leo who seemed wary of his new surroundings."This place is strange and hot," Leo muttered. "I don't like America. When are we going back to Canda, mummy?""Soon," I lied, knowing fully well that I had signed a contract to be a neurosurgeon at the America branch for one year, at least."Really soon or far soon?" He scrutinized my expression as if trying to deduce an ounce of lie on my face."Soon soon, baby," I lied again, just as three bald burly men that were identically dressed in black suits and dark sunshades trekked up to us."Welcome to America, ma'am," They bowed in unison to me before collecting our luggage and turning to Mr Thomas."It's been a while, sir," They said to him, and he nodded."It sure has," He said. "Take the luggage to the car. How many cars did you bring?
Alessandro’s POV "Do you care for a drink?" I asked my best friend, Ethan, as he plopped onto one of the sofas in my study."Yes, please. Do you have Brandy?" I shook my head in disapproval. "I thought your doctor told you to quit drinking alcohol because of your reoccurring cirrhosis."Ethan waved me off. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. Alcohol is the only thing that makes me feel alive nowadays. Chloe has taken my children to heaven knows where and the court is refusing to grant me joint custody of them."His wife divorced him three years ago due to his frequent abuse of alcohol and how it was causing their marriage to fall apart.It was quite saddening to see Ethan in such a vulnerable state nowadays.Him and I went way back since kindergarten. As we were both heirs from wealthy families, we had gradually bonded and became best of friends.Ethan was even part of the people that had criticized me for maltreating Catherine after the divorce and because of that, we had
Catherine’s POV This couldn't be, right?There was absolutely no way in hell that I just saw him in there, right?I was definitely seeing things now, right?Those were the forms of questions that swirled in my head as I trekked back to my office.But then again, I could still smell his woody cologne on myself which meant that I had truly seen the bastard in flesh and blood.I had never thought I would be saying this soon, but Mr Thomas was right.Coming back to America was the worst decision that I ever made.Well, with the exception of marrying Alessandro.I should have just told the director that I couldn't do it, but my good heart had gotten in the way.Fuck, what was I supposed to do now?As I pressed my back against the wall of my office, another thought resonated in my head.Alessandro's grandmother was my patient.I had been shocked out of my mind when she was rushed into the emergency room, some hours ago.The only person that had been nice to me in his family was fatally ill
Alessandro’s POV "Chloe has finally agreed to allow the both of us to have joint custody of our kids," Ethan divulged, as he sat down opposite me. "I'm gonna stop drinking from now on, and I really mean it.""That's good to hear," I said, truthfully happy for him. "Just don't let them down again, alright?""I wouldn't even dream of doing that. Hell, it took me almost three years to get joint custody of them and you think I'm gonna toss that chance into a trashcan. Nah, I'm wiser than that now," He replied. "I'm even planning on moving to a bigger place, so the kids can have enough space when they come to visit."In response, I gave him the most genuine smile that I could muster before darting my focus to the void behind him.Three days had passed since I last saw Catherine.I didn't need anyone to spell it out to me that she hated my guts.Hell, I could still picture the vitriolic disgust that had been evident in her eyes as she glared at me.However, she was even more gorgeous than
Laura’s POV "So, have you heard anything from him yet?" My best friend, Daphne, asked as she hopped into my car."Would I be seething with anger if I did?" I spat at her, and she visibly recoiled before scoffing."Alessandro is such a strange, egoistic man, I can't even with him," Daphne uttered. "I mean, why would he break up with his first love and then ban her from his place?"Gritting my teeth angrily, I hit the steering wheel. "That arrogant bastard thinks he can humiliate me. He shouldn't worry, I'll repay him in tenfold. For now, I've decided to lay low until I hatch a plan."Three weeks had passed since Alessandro made his security team kick me out of his place and two months had passed since I last saw him in person.I had no idea what I had done to him that suddenly made him end our relationship three years ago.Alessandro and I went way back to middle school.We had dated for about a year while we were both sixteen and had broken up a year later.After middle school, I rel
Catherine’s POV "Babe, you won't believe what Dr Arnold told me the other day." Rita huffed from the other end of the line."Remind me who that is again," I said, throwing some plantain chips into my mouth. "Is he one of the interns or residents?""None. He's the newly transferred cardiologist," She divulged. "The round, stocky one who made a move on you the other day."My brows furrowed in mild confusion as I racked my brain, trying to remember who it really was, before it then clicked in my head.I could remember him now.According to what I had heard from the nurses, he had only recently gotten married to his fourth wife; a young lady in her early twenties, who many believed was just with him for his money.He had been divorced thrice due to his incessant cheating, but as it seemed, his young wife probably didn't care about it."Oh, I remember him now," I said. "Let me guess, he asked you out on a date."In the past, the scumbag of a man had asked me to go out with him on a dinner
ONE YEAR LATERAllison's POV “Dinner is ready,” I announced, bringing out the tray of rotisserie chicken from the oven. “Leo and Aiden, are you done setting the table?”“Yes, baby.”“Yes, mummy.” Father and son replied in unison, as they entered the kitchen.After our wedding, Leo bought a mansion in Canada, and it was there that our little family lived now.He had told me that he decided to make Canada his permanent place of residence because of me. Mu close friends were here, and he didn't want me to be apart from them.Plus, my winery was also here. About a year ago, I finally reisgned from Leo's company and took over running the winery.So far, the experience had been quite exciting and rewarding, albeit challenging sometimes.“Hmm,” Leo closed his eyes and nodded in approval. “It smells so nice in here, my love.”“I eventually made the rotisserie chicken,” I replied, to which Aiden cheered. “with fried rice.”“And I bet it's gonna taste nicer than anything,” Leo said, walking up
Allison's POV “Where are you taking me?” I asked, cuffing my hands around Leo's wrist, as he led me out of the house, with his hands placed on my eyes, obstructing my vision.“It's a surprise, baby.” He said, and I could almost see him grinning mischievously.Three days had passed since our wedding, and in another three days, we were going to leave the country for our honeymoon in Greece.“Here we are,” Leo said, taking his hands off my eyes. “Have a look.”A gasp forced itself out of my throat when I saw a new black Mercedes Benz parked in the driveway, with a white bow taped to the trunk and the headlights.“How do you like it, my love? Is it to your taste?” Leo asked, as I gazed at the car in surprise.“It's perfect,” I whispered, shaking my head in happy disbelief. “I love it.”“I'm glad to hear that, honey,” Leo said, hooking an arm around my waist. “You love the color, right? Or would you like me to get someone to paint it to your desired colour?”“No, I love it like this,” I b
Leo's POV “You have a message,” Liam announced, gesturing to the gift bag he was holding, as he entered the room.Today was D-day. After many years of challenges, trials, and tribulations, Allison was finally going to be my wife just like I had always wanted.I had to pinch myself thrice when I woke up that morning, in order to be sure that I wasn't dreaming and today was really happening.“From who?” I asked, as he handed me the bag.“Allison.”My face softened with a wide grin as I retracted a burgundy velvet box from the bag.“I wonder what this is,” I muttered to myself, as I flipped the box open.My grin widened, to the point where my eyes creased when I saw the contents of the box; it consisted of a golden wristwatch, a pair of golden cufflinks to match with a golden pen.On the three items, my initials–LDS–was intricately inscribed on it.I couldn't help but feel warm and touched by her thoughtful, sentimental gifts, so I decided to forgo my initial choice of cufflinks and wri
Allison's POV“And I'm done,” Ophelia announced, after giving my face a final dab with the beauty blender. “You look ravishing, Allie.”Clasping my hands together to tame my nervous excitement, I breathed out. “So can I open my eyes now?”“Yes, most definitely.”Inhaling sharply, I flapped my eyes open and gasped on seeing my beautiful reflection in the mirror.Ophelia had hearkened my choice and instructions to the very least detail and had done a great job with both my face and hair.My makeup was a natural, dewy look that accentuated and drew more attention to my facial features rather than having a huge slab of foundation pasted on my face while my hair was tossed in a sleek, french bun with a diamond brooch inserted beside it.I looked like a princess who had just stepped out of a fairytale book, and I could barely hide my excitement as I assessed my face, a huge smile plastered to my face.“I look gorgeous,” I said. “You did a wonderful job, Lia, and I don't know if I'm ever gon
Allison's POV As I stepped out of the bathroom after taking a refreshing shower, my phone pinged with an incoming call.On seeing that it was Tasha calling, I smiled before answering the call and pressing the phone to my ear.“Babe, you have to come to the balcony right now,” Tasha started with a tone of urgency. “Something happened.”My heart did a back flip as goosebumps instantly crowded my entire body. “What happened? Is Aiden okay?”“Just come quickly, alright? We are waiting for you.” She said, before hanging up.Swallowing harshly, I flung my phone on the bed before making my way to the closet to grab a casual outfit, while hoping everyone was alright.Fuck, I genuinely hoped nothing bad had happened on the eve of my wedding.That would be a sign of bad luck and I didn't want that. I just wanted to have my happily ever after with Leo, Aiden, and possibly our future children.We were currently lodged in a hotel in Las Vegas, as that was the destination of our wedding.Leo, his
Leo's POV “Stop it, can't you see that Aiden is here?” Allison scolded me, as I slotted my hand beneath her shirt to cup her breasts.The three of us were sitting on a sofabed in the private sitting room of my beach house in Turkey. Three days had passed since I proposed to Allison and we officially became a soon-to-be married couple.The rest of our family were currently at the other side of the beach house. I had designed the building of the beach house in such a way that my little family and I could have our own private time whenever we wanted, without any disturbance.“But his attention is fixated on Mickey mouse. He can't see us.” I argued, sliding my hand in between her legs which earned me a smack on the shoulder followed by a glare.As I made to defend myself yet again, my phone vibrated with a message.Reading through the text message which was sent by my mum, I smiled. “Mum and Dad are going for a walk downtown and they want to take Aiden with them.”“A walk with grandma an
Allison's POV “Baby, you forgot to tie your shoelace properly,” Leo scolded, as we walked out of the garden to have lunch in the balcony.Along with Leo's parents, siblings, sister in law and Aiden, we were currently at Leo's vacation house in Turkey having fun.A week had passed since the twenty seventh wedding anniversary of Leo's parents, and in all honesty, the celebration had yet to end.After the huge party that happened that day, Mr Alessandro and Ma'am Catherine hosted an intimate dinner among thier close family and friends to mark the occasion.Truly, it was good to be wealthy in a classy manner.I had also gotten the opportunity to meet Ma'am Catherine's best friend, Rita, who reminded me so much of an older version of Tasha.Their friendship was really wholesome and cute, and I could only hope Tasha and I turned out like the both of them in the future.As I made to bend down to tie my shoelaces, a quick realization struck me; I was wearing beach slippers and not sneakers o
Allison's POV “Ophelia called just now. They are leaving very soon, so we have to be on our way now.” Leo announced, as I helped Aiden into his shoes.“Alright, we are ready,” I said then averted my gaze to Aiden. “Right, baby?”“Yes, mummy!” He beamed like a Cheshire cat. “We are ready to meet uncle Liam and Aunty Lia.”Today was the twenty-seventh wedding anniversary of Leo's parents, and so, we were currently in America to celebrate the beautiful occasion with them.To me, they were the most adorable couple that I had ever seen and met.They both loved each other so much and Mr Alessandro always seemed to be worshipping the ground his wife stepped on. He looked at her with so much adoration and love and it was just so heartwarming.“Fuck, I can't believe I forgot,” Leo said, moments later as he parked the car in the driveway of the event center. “What did you forget?” I huffed incredulously, to which Leo smiled before pressing a quick, chaste kiss to my lips.“This and I also for
Allison’s POV “You look ravishing, baby,” Leo complimented as he walked into the room, a smirk plastered to his lips as he regarded my body. “Thanks, babe.” I darted him a quick smile before returning my attention to my reflection in the mirror and putting finishing touches to my makeup. I was clad in a figure-hugging lilac dress that stopped past my knees while my feet were slid in a pair of violet heels and my purse was silver. “What do you say we cancel the date and just stay home?” He suggested coming behind me to lock his arm around my waist. “We can always N*****x and chill, my love.” “I'm sorry, horndog but that isn't happening,” I said, then pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips and eased myself out of his hold to grab my purse from the dresser. “By the way, I thought we were meeting at the restaurant. What changed?” “Nothing, I just decided to come pick you and Aiden up.” He shrugged. “And I don't regret changing my mind because I've got a lovely view of your ethereal