"It's true that you can work under pressure. You don't disappoint, Marianne.""In the long run, you get used to meeting irrational expectations. It's the primary requirement for our client profile," I explained as we both got into the elevator. I pressed the button to go up."Irrational… I like that word," he said, stroking his chin.I glanced at him, narrowing my eyes. I couldn't lose my patience with my boss, owner, and supposed fiance. The doors opened quickly, and we stepped onto the second-to-last floor. I took the property keys out of my jacket, and we entered.The apartment was a dream. It had been decorated by a famous interior designer in the city, had plenty of space, and was up to the standard of a millionaire like Lucius. I recited its features aloud."Four bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom. A spacious living and dining area with a privileged view of the sea," I explained. "The kitchen is any food lover's dream. All the appliances are new. It's been recently
I gathered my strength to hold back, but things weren't working out the way I wanted. There was no way Lucius could accompany me to see that apartment. No way at all."You can't come with me to see that apartment!" My voice came out louder and shriller than I wanted."Why not? I showed you mine. Or are you hiding something?" he joked."What's the point of you seeing the place where I'll be living? It's unnecessary," I said defensively.The elevator doors opened on the ground floor, and I started to step out. I had one foot out when I heard Lucius's voice, firm and resolute."Step out of this elevator, and there won't be a wedding."Fear filled every corner of me. I looked at him, terrified. He looked unperturbed, far from the playful Lucius I knew. I had managed to put him in a bad mood, perhaps on the defensive as well."Let's start with the rules of this agreement, Marianne. I don't like being contradicted when I know I'm right.""That's entirely subjective..." I dodged."Is
This city had a gentrification problem, which had skyrocketed just in the past year. In the year when I was oblivious to mortal issues because of my rich ex-fiance. I should never have gotten used to that comfort. Or dreamed of more than I could earn with my own hands. My mother was right: depend on a man, and your life would depend on something volatile and unstable."How many months' advance do you need?" I asked, resigned to my fate."Three months' deposit, and six months' rent in advance. Oh, and the curfew is 7 PM. The doors are double-locked after that.""Excuse me... what do you mean the doors are locked? Who locks them?""I do. I live in the next room."My mouth clamped shut in shock. I couldn't say anything in response to the woman's brazen expression. The only sound I heard was Lucius's suppressed laughter in the background. He was struggling not to burst out laughing. The woman gave him another reprimanding look."Sorry, I just remembered a joke," he excused himself, c
Never underestimate how fast a woman without a home could move. Within hours, she had filled out all the forms and gathered most of the documents she needed to apply for the mortgage. It would be enough for an average-priced, cozy, two-bedroom apartment near the city center. Nothing luxurious, but a great investment for the coming years.“Did you manage to save us months of work and sell the project?” Jenna asked, leaning against one of the walls of my cubicle at the company.“No. But they promised to get back to me for negotiations. It was a good first meeting,” I said, gathering the files I needed to print.“Well, that’s good news, but maybe not good enough to justify drinking two more cups of coffee,” she said, eyeing the empty cups on my desk skeptically. “Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack? Or are you aiming for a hospital stay to cash in on health insurance? I promise, I could be a better roommate.”I made a face to show that wasn’t the case and invited Jenna to c
“We can’t have more surprises with my marriage and your nephew being so close,” Amanda said, emphasizing the juiciest words so others would overhear. “On Saturday night, Andrew and I are hosting a welcome dinner at our apartment for your new partner. Mom and Dad will be there. Trust me, we’re all excited to learn more about your relationship and see if it will end in marriage. I mean, your hand is still empty.”With a pointed look at my bare fingers, that witch walked away. She left those who had overheard the conversation with questions about who on earth my new boyfriend was, whether it was true that he was one of our superiors, and confirming the rumor that she was pregnant with my ex’s child.“You think you can beat me, princess?” I ground my teeth, craving revenge.I got up and headed to Lucius’s office. I didn’t knock. I walked right in because I knew he was alone, not talking on a video call or anything.“I need a ring. The biggest, gaudiest engagement ring you can find,” I
Friday arrived, and with it, the night I had dreaded finally came. My panicked face was probably worth a portrait as I announced myself at the entrance of Lucius’s new building. They let me in quickly, and the elevator moved faster than I would have liked. In a few seconds, I was knocking on his door, and a few more seconds later, he opened it.“Look who’s here. I thought you wouldn’t come, considering you think I bite,” he greeted me with that shameless smile. The most shameless part was that he was wearing pajama pants, no shirt, and his hair was messier than ever.“Were you sleeping? Weren’t you supposed to have some appointment earlier?”“Did I? Well, I’m a nocturnal creature anyway. Come in,” he mocked, stepping aside to let me enter.I did, biting back my tongue and holding back aggressive comments. My boss had fully moved into his new apartment. He hadn’t changed its design since he’d arrived, but one thing had changed—the smell. It was a noticeable, masculine scent. His sce
“I don’t have a mother, Marianne. Any other questions I might actually answer?” he offered.I got the message instantly. The mother was worse than the father, and he didn’t even want to joke about her. Noted and filed away as a forbidden topic. I reorganized my thoughts. I had a purpose for tonight.“Do you have the engagement ring you told me about?” I changed the subject.“That’s not even a question,” he downed his glass in one go. “Follow me. I keep it under the Bible.”“What?” I asked, thrown off as Lucius sneaked away like a mischievous child toward the study area.He had to be mocking me—I’d discovered that that was his favorite activity when it came to me. I left my purse on the island and followed him. When I entered the elegant study with its stunning nighttime ocean view, I found him opening a safe in the bookshelf. I didn’t believe his cursed ring story for a second. I walked closer to him, crossing my arms.“What kind of lie are you going to come up with this time, Lu
“When will you give it to me? We need to plan the proposal,” I said as I sat in the nearest chair.“Does tomorrow work for you? I was thinking we could do it then,” he suggested.I loved the idea.“It would be perfect to do it at that dirty cheater’s apartment, with my whole family there,” I envisioned, and another idea hit me. “Could we arrange the timing and maybe even hire a serenade? Imagine it: Amanda will probably pull one of her stunts to be the center of attention, but then we swoop in with the proposal and that ring. She’ll die of frustration.”Lucius didn’t seem too thrilled with my idea.“I’d leave out some of those details. I’d prefer to keep it simple. Let me handle it.”Since he was lending me the ring, I agreed not to push him beyond his comfort zone. That sounded fine, and I let him know with a nod.“So, how did we meet, then? What story are we going with?” I asked, starting to build our narrative.“We could say we met last year from a distance. Then, when I cam
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,