We had both started in the biomedical engineering program, which was internationally recognized. It had been my idea, but I hadn't been able to keep up with the course—Lawrence had. Could I have gone to a different university? Sure. Did I? No, because I liked the environment, and I had him there. I had switched to systems engineering instead, and I'd managed to complete that one."Do you think every decision in my life revolves around you, Sara?" he complained.I let out a scoff—some people just didn't know how lucky they were. I looked him straight in the eye."I'll make you one last offer, Lawrence.""Go on.""I won't go to your wedding, I won't have any contact with your fiancée, and we won't have to see or speak to each other again. If that's what you want so badly. Since our friendship and our shared life mean absolutely nothing to you, it won't mean anything to me either..."I spat the words out bitterly, and his mouth twisted with the same bitterness. I wasn't sure if I sa
Marriages of convenience weren't anything new in our social circle. They were entirely normal and acceptable to everyone around us. First, the families had to be compatible in terms of goals and business opportunities, and only after that came any emotional attachment. Feelings were the last step in the process.That's how Lawrence's parents had married—Mr. Laurence Lewis and Mrs. Victoria Lauren. They had everything in their favor except any genuine attraction or affection. Their marriage was like something out of a crypt. How could it not be? Laurence was much older than Victoria, and it wasn't as if Mrs. Victoria was particularly pleasant.Lawrence and his twin brothers, Julian and Richard, had grown up in that hellish relationship. They were all scarred by it, and it was no secret to me that Lawrence didn't want to repeat his parents' story. He despised the open marriage they had, with lovers on the side. That wasn't his ideal at all. He wanted a marriage built on love.So, if E
"Instead of disappearing, just rest here. Come on," I coaxed him, guiding him to lay his head on my lap. I gently ran my fingers through his messy hair. "Feel better?""It feels pathetic. I'm not your cat," he grumbled. I held back a laugh and forced myself to stay serious."Whatever happens, I'm here with you. You're not alone. We're in this together, always..."He fell silent again, so I just kept stroking his hair, letting the quiet comfort him. That was all."Sara..." I heard him whisper."Yes?""There's... there's something I need to tell you..." His breathing became unsteady."Go ahead," I replied lightly."I..."He tried to sit up but couldn't manage it because his hair had gotten tangled in the jeweled belt I was wearing. When we realized what was going on, I burst into laughter, and he started flailing, telling me to stop laughing as he tried to untangle himself. I was laughing so hard that I ended up lying back on the bed, and in doing so, I pulled him down with me,
I finally arrived at my parents' house. Standing at their door, I took a deep breath to muster the courage to ring the bell. The door opened faster than I expected, and a little girl who barely reached my waist looked up at me with wide eyes."It's my niece!" Samantha squealed, running to hug me with all the enthusiasm in her tiny frame."And it's my favorite aunt!" I replied just as enthusiastically, swinging her side to side in our hug.Yes, I had an aunt who was eleven. Weird? Maybe, but I had gotten used to it. Here's how it went: my paternal grandfather, Lennon, had remarried Selena, a younger woman who had somehow managed to get pregnant. To add more color to this twisted family tree, Selena was my mom's best friend. Well, she had been—until Samantha was born."Can you two stop calling each other that? The older you get, the weirder it sounds..." muttered Selena.She was over by the kitchen with my mom, both of them surrounded by chopped vegetables and bubbling pots. They we
Dinner was going fine as long as I pretended he didn't exist. We'd made it through the salad, pasta, and chicken, and were just about to start dessert. I needed to use the bathroom, so I quickly excused myself. I took care of business, and as I stepped out...Lionel was there, waiting for me in the hallway."Can we talk for a few minutes, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice sounding weary and defeated.I wanted to say no, but we'd been at odds for so long that I decided to give in. I folded my arms, feeling uncomfortable."Make it quick. The tiramisu is calling my name..."Lionel smiled at my little joke. God, I hated being like this with my dad. Being close to him like this just made it worse."Since the day you came into my life, my highest priority has been taking care of you. Earning your trust, your love. Making up for the time we lost," he said, and my heart softened slightly. "Nothing I do is meant to harm you... at least, I never think it is.""There's a big gap between wha
If you tried to avoid someone in your own social circle, you'd be attempting the impossible. With absolute certainty, I found myself at Amber's birthday party. Her parties were talked about for weeks each year, all thanks to her outrageous themes and extravagance. This year's theme? Old Hollywood Glam.I had skipped the entryway—a red carpet set up to mimic a movie premiere, complete with "paparazzi" eager to snap photos of the guests. It was all part of the fantasy, as was the decor, which made it look like we'd stepped back seventy years.This party was taking place at Amber's grandparents' country estate, and I wove through the crowd, nodding and greeting the city's social elite who were all here tonight. I received plenty of compliments on my red silk dress with its plunging neckline and daring open back. Let's just say I wasn't shy about showing off, and the jewelry I had chosen only added to the look.Still, the best-dressed person here had to be the birthday girl herself. Amb
"Although, now that we're this close... maybe we should examine your own obsession with diamonds," Ryan teased, eyeing the long diamond necklace that was draped down my chest and back.I knew he wasn't looking at the necklace—he was staring at my cleavage. I rolled my eyes and pushed his face away with my palm."How much have you had to drink? Isn't it a bit early to start embarrassing yourself?" I replied sharply.The group laughed, and Ryan laughed too. I could bet that he and Kit had a standing wager on who could get me into bed first. They'd have to keep waiting. Their little bet was a joke to me. But of course, Lawrence didn't find it funny at all—he looked more serious than ever."So, there's no bad blood between you two? Peace has officially been declared?" Marie asked."Bad blood? Not at all. There never was," I replied smoothly. "In fact..." I picked up a glass from a waiter's tray as it passed by. "Since we're all here, it's time for Lawrence to share the good news."I
"He's... wonderful. So attentive, gentle, and responsible. I've never met a man so mature at his age. I'm lucky he noticed me," Emma continued, her face glowing with happiness.I forced a smile, feeling my neck tighten from holding it stiff. I tried to sip my drink, but it was empty. I signaled to the nearest waiter for a refill, and he quickly handed me another glass."Thanks..." I muttered, my neck still tense."And the proposal. You had to have been there. It was at sunset; he scattered rose petals across the sand and knelt in front of me. Beautiful, so intimate, just the two of us," she went on, her eyes dreamy.I drank more. I hardly recognized myself at that moment or the strange cocktail of bitterness and rage I felt brewing inside me."Sounds... charming," I said, my face aching from the forced smile."It was. And the talks we've had about our future children..."I took another long drink, more than was sensible. Emma's phone rang, and she gestured apologetically, saying
Sara Brown's P.O.V."Didn't we agree you wouldn't come, Mom?" Richard asked, his voice low and disappointed."Richard, you too?" Victoria exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of hurt and indignation."What else did you expect, Victoria?" Julian interjected, crossing his arms. "We practically had to beg Sara for permission just to see Matthew. Meanwhile, you've done nothing to make amends yet here you are, demanding things. That's not how this works.""Do you want me to apologize to Sara?" Victoria's voice cracked as she looked at me, her emotions on full display.I would never trust Victoria, and I certainly would never leave my son alone with her unsupervised. But in this moment, her vulnerability chipped away at some of my hardened resolve. Life had been so good lately, so full of joy and love, that my heart no longer had room for resentment."You don't need to apologize to me," I said calmly. "The people you owe an apology to are your sons."Victoria's eyes widened, her
Sara Brown's P.O.V.Six months later.Becoming a mother was one of those adventures I never knew I needed, but I'd never been more grateful for taking the leap—especially with Lawrence by my side. Now, here we were, standing in front of a flower-draped altar nestled in the woods of the Brown family estate.Getting married in this spot felt symbolic. It had been our sanctuary as kids, the place where we'd escaped from the grown-ups and shared secrets. It was fitting that my best friend, the boy who'd been by my side through thick and thin, was now becoming my husband.Behind us was a small gathering of family and close friends. The Browns—ever-expanding with a small army of kids—were all present, as were a handful of Lawrence's relatives, including his brothers, Richard and Julian. We'd kept the guest list to just sixty people, making this a more intimate celebration than anyone would've expected from a Brown-Lewis wedding.Still, it was perfect. Everyone we loved was here. And the
I looked at our baby's tiny face, and the urge to cry overwhelmed me again. He was absolutely perfect."Are you going to keep crying?" Sara teased with a mischievous grin. "If you don't stop, I won't give you another one."I wiped my tears immediately, not wanting to take any chances. She burst out laughing, her radiant energy filling the room."So," quickly shifting topics, she leaned forward slightly, "what are we naming him? We agreed we'd know when we saw him. I've got a name from the shortlist in mind. Do you?""I do," I replied, smiling."Okay, let's say it together," she suggested, and I nodded. "On three. One, two, three—""Matthew!" we both exclaimed in unison.We stared at each other before breaking into matching grins. Sara started clapping in excitement over our perfect sync. I laughed at her enthusiasm, but something on the hospital TV caught my attention—a news report about yesterday's gubernatorial election. Images of Isabelle, the winner, flashed across the scree
Lawrence Lewis's P.O.V.Three months later...Just when I thought I couldn't be any happier with Sara loving me, life proved me wrong. Every day felt like a new peak of joy. A few months ago, I believed I had reached the ultimate high when she accepted my proposal during our trip to Finland. I'd asked her under the northern lights in a private and intimate moment, just the two of us—just like our entire relationship had been.The fallout from canceling my engagement to Emma had been relatively manageable for me. There were no financial or legal repercussions, and I narrowly escaped the disgrace of almost becoming the son-in-law of a criminal like Mark. But to say I avoided all drama would be a lie. The rumors and gossip surrounding how Sara and I had gotten together were relentless.I was usually a calm man, but any criticism aimed at Sara, accusing her of "breaking up" my previous engagement, turned me into a beast. Sara would always tell me to ignore the noise, that only we knew
I stood there frozen, feeling every gaze lock onto me. It was as if time had stopped. No one spoke, no one moved—they just stared. Sweat started trickling down places I didn’t even know could sweat.“Hi… how’s everyone doing?” I asked, my voice hesitant.I braced myself for the shouting, the dramatic exclamations, the scolding even. Instead, the extroverted ones in the room simply smiled at me while the quieter ones went back to what they were doing, almost as if nothing had happened. The initial wave of attention just… evaporated.“As I was saying,” Uncle Lucius continued, picking up right where he’d left off, “if you don’t finish your vegetables, we’ll give them to the lion in the forest.”My jaw dropped. This table—the entire Brown family—was completely unfazed. Even Lawrence had that knowing smile on his face, almost as if he’d expected this exact reaction. Before I could recover, Aunt Lucia and Aunt Marianne came over and pulled me into tight hugs.“You look gorgeous, Sara. A
Richard's voice broke the silence as he gathered his courage. "We'd like to add Duke and Monarch for me, and the boat for Julian. With that, we'll be ready to sign the agreement."I rubbed my ears, almost certain I had misheard."The horses and the boat? That's all you want?" Lawrence asked, his tone tinged with disbelief."Yes," Julian confirmed, his voice hesitant. "We believe... they're of great sentimental value to us. And they were gifts. They just... weren't officially transferred to us."Lawrence's eyes darted between them as if trying to confirm whether these were the same brothers he'd been fighting with."That's it?" he repeated, his suspicion evident."That's it," Richard said, though his discomfort was plain to see."What are you two plotting?" Lawrence asked, narrowing his eyes.The twins exchanged confused glances."Nothing?" Julian said, his tone growing defensive. "What are you plotting? You told us you wouldn't give us anything but then sent this offer out of
I couldn't help but notice the sadness etched onto Lawrence's face. He'd always said he wouldn't give his brothers anything. Yet here he was, not only offering them a portion of the inheritance but also bracing himself for their inevitable demands and negotiating with them."Wouldn't it have been easier to just offer them exactly what you were willing to give from the start?" I asked as I leaned against his shoulder, wrapping my arms around him. His sadness was palpable, and it was breaking my heart. Just moments ago, he'd been so happy. "Just say 'Take it or leave it' and then forget about them."Lawrence sighed, his gaze distant. "I know them. And I know myself. I can't lay the blame for all my hardships on them like I do with Victoria. Despite what I said during the will reading, I know they deserve more than what my father left them.""You have a heart of gold, Ren," I murmured, kissing his cheek. "Don't let those brats melt it down, okay?"He chuckled softly, though his sadnes
I swayed my hips rhythmically against his body, the two of us joined in that intimate connection we'd rediscovered nearly every night since the chaos with a certain corrupt official had come to an end.As Lawrence neared his release, he called my name, his voice rough with passion. I teased him by sucking on the thumb he'd slipped into my mouth, which was all it took for him to shut his eyes tightly as the force of his climax overtook him. I followed him into that blissful release just a moment later.Utterly satisfied, I collapsed beside him on the bed, both of us completely naked, basking in the warmth of each other's bodies. My breathing was still ragged as Lawrence shifted closer, his hands roaming gently over my hair, my chest, and finally, my stomach. The way his hand lingered there told me exactly what he was about to ask—again."Are you sure you're comfortable with this?" he asked."No. It was terrible. I never want to have another orgasm for the rest of my life," I replied
"What's going on here?" I asked Sara suspiciously."Just go with the flow," she replied, opening my car door with a grin.I hesitated but decided to follow her advice—or at least try. After exchanging cheek kisses, I walked over to where Jason was waiting. I tucked the envelope with my test results into my pocket. As I reached him, he took my hand, and we started walking up a hill in the park."When did you ask Sara to bring me here?" I asked, curious."That's a secret," he said with a chuckle. "And since you two are such close friends now—""Close friends?" I interrupted, raising a brow. "You think we're really friends?""That's how it seems. You smile a lot when you're with her," he replied."Do I?" I considered it for a moment, warmth spreading through my chest. "Maybe we are."Jason smiled but kept silent. As we climbed one of the hills, I was taken aback by the breathtaking view of the city spread before us. But even more surprising was the blanket laid out on the ground,