"Here it is, the mint plant you asked for, Lucia," said my uncle Lucius, strolling in with a small pot in his hands. "That'll be ten dollars plus a delivery tip.""That's got to be the steepest charge for riding an elevator to a greenhouse and back," Lucia retorted, undeterred."You live in a house with an elevator and you're whining about ten dollars? Unbelievable," he shot back with mock indignation. Then, his attention shifted to me. He smiled and set the plant down before walking over."How's your vision, niece?" He placed one hand on my head and the other in front of my face. "How many fingers am I holding up? No guessing."I stared at him, unimpressed by his antics, though secretly, I found it hilarious. Uncle Lucius was a master storyteller and the most ridiculous comedian in the family."Four," I answered flatly.He flopped onto the couch in front of us, throwing his legs up with exaggerated exhaustion. "Phew, I was bracing myself to have a blind relative in the family...
My uncle Lucius was quite a character, one of those rare people who could only be reined in by a select few. His wife, my aunt Marianne, was one of them. So was my uncle Leonardo, and on rare occasions, my aunt Lucia. Right now, it was Lucia's turn to try."A séance, Lucius? Do you think this is some kind of joke? Because it's not," she reprimanded him."Who said anything about joking? I'm talking about diving into the mysteries of this house's mysticism," he replied, his tone bordering on mockery—though knowing him, it was probably intentional. "Did I ever tell you about the time your aunt discovered bones in the basement? Just by pure intuition?"Lucius was looking straight at me like he was setting up for one of his infamous stories. But then I noticed the embarrassed look on Lucia's face, and I wasn't so sure."Wait, is that true? You found bones? Whose were they?" I asked, intrigued.She rubbed her temple as though the memory pained her. "You make me sound like some kind of w
Suddenly, the table... began to vibrate. It was a small movement at first, just enough for me to notice. I stared at it in disbelief, and so did my aunt. By now, both of us had our eyes wide open."Do they... want to harm Sara?" Lucia asked, her voice uneasy.The table started trembling again, this time a bit stronger. Both Lucia and I flinched, our fear mounting as the vibrations grew more pronounced."W-What does this mean?" I stammered, my voice shaking.Lucius tightened his grip on our hands, his face a mask of concentration."I can hear it... I'm hearing it inside my head," he intoned. "It's a man... he's telling me to..."Abruptly, the table stopped shaking, and Lucius's eyes snapped open, his expression one of utter shock. He looked at us, his face pale. My heart raced, frozen with fear.And then, he grinned."To stop letting Lucius feed you lies," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.My jaw dropped. Lucia's expression mirrored mine, though hers quickly shifted t
Making a grand return meant doing it with flair, and tonight, at this social event, I was ensuring just that. It was the grand opening of a contemporary art museum hosted by the Barclay family. The same influential faces as always filled the guest list, and naturally, I had to attend—not just to push my business agenda but to quell the rumors I knew had been circulating about me.My strategy was working. Guests swarmed around me like flies, disguising their gossip as concern. I heard it all—whispers of a psychotic breakdown, even jail time—all under the guise of fake sympathy and hollow laughter."Is that you, Miss 'Disappeared Without a Trace'? I need to touch you to confirm you're real," Ryan greeted, striding up with the usual crew: Kit, Marie, and Amber."I'd really prefer if you didn't," I replied, my tone dry.Everyone laughed as we exchanged pleasantries. I repeated the fabricated story we'd carefully crafted to justify my absence. It was vital to preserve my reputation and
"You need to stay away from my son, Sara," Victoria repeated with that same commanding tone.I rolled my eyes so hard that it actually hurt, a reminder of my recent surgeries."With all due respect—which you've never had for me—it was your son who came to me. And now, here you are, standing before me," I retorted, my voice laced with mockery.Victoria's icy blue eyes hardened, barely concealing her fury."Like mother, like daughter," she spat with venom."Are we still on about that?" I sighed. "I didn't do anything to you, and whatever grudge you have against my mother, it's high time you let it go. That was ages ago.""You don't understand, child," she hissed. "Lawrence could have been your brother if life had been fair to me. Don't you see how depraved that makes you?"I felt my stomach churn. The audacity of her dragging up some ancient drama between her and my father, trying to sully me with it—it was disgusting. The thought alone was repulsive. I didn't care to be involved
My love life was an absolute mess. That much was certain. But one of the few things that kept me going was the tiny glimmer of hope that Lawrence's wedding wouldn't actually happen. If, however, Lawrence and Emma were in love—or worse, if she was pregnant—that hope would vanish entirely.And so, here I was, lurking in the bathroom like a stalker, trying to figure out if Victoria's insinuations had any truth to them. There were plenty of reasons a woman might be throwing up, though pregnancy was definitely among them.Still, there were plenty of reasons, I reminded myself. Yet the sound of Emma's retching, the sheer force and duration of it, had me genuinely worried. I hesitated before gently knocking on the stall door after the noise subsided."Emma? Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.There was a flurry of movement inside the stall, followed by Emma's frantic voice. "No, no, no! I'm fine! I just ate something that didn't sit well, that's all!"The door fle
"We could do it without clothes," my friend suggested slyly.I glanced at his face—handsome, exactly the type that would usually ignite something in me. But here's the catch: I couldn't even remember his name, I wasn't as into him as I should've been for a suggestion like that, and I definitely knew better than to sleep with someone for the first time while drunk and heartbroken."I'll pass. If I touch a bed, it's to sleep," I replied, laughing over the pulsating music as I kept dancing.He chuckled, swaying with me. "Fair enough, but don't get jealous if I end up with someone who does want to dance without clothes," he teased, leaning in closer.Or at least, that was the plan—until an arm came between us. It wasn't just any arm; it was his arm."Jason?" I exclaimed, delighted and a little confused. "What are you doing here?"Jason didn't even glance at me. His gaze was fixed on my friend, sharp and unyielding."Who's this guy?" he asked, his voice like steel."Jason!" I beamed
His lips were on mine, his hands gripped my hips, and his strength guided the rhythm of his movements inside me. The pleasure coursing through my body was undeniable—until an irritating, insistent noise shattered everything, yanking me out of my bliss.I opened my eyes, greeted by the harsh assault of sunlight and the disarray of my bed. The sheets were tangled around me, and a quick glance at the mirror across the room revealed a sight that didn't improve my mood. My dress from the night before was still half-on, my hair was a matted mess, and my eyeliner had smudged into raccoon territory.Groaning, I pressed my fingers to my temples, trying to will away the pounding in my head. The persistent noise of my phone ringing only made things worse."Why did I forget how sneaky alcohol could be?" I muttered, dragging myself upright. "And more importantly... did I dream about having sex with Lawrence? Have I completely lost it?"Judging by the ache and dampness between my legs, my dream
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,