"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
I gave up. There was no point in denying what was painfully obvious at this stage. Instead of arguing, I just looked at Amber with a defeated expression, and she sighed."Of all people," she began, "I never thought Lawrence would be the most calculating and ambitious of the group." She raised a finger near my face when I tried to interject. "Don't defend him. What other explanation is there? After years of waiting for you—years—you finally reciprocate, and his response is to marry someone else? The only reason that makes sense is that he's aiming for a political career, and Mark White as governor will be his golden ticket. It's a done deal.""I know ambition is part of it," I admitted, "but it's not that simple. Our relationship is complicated. I've made mistakes too, but he refuses to see that going through with this marriage will be his biggest one."Amber's disapproving glare deepened."Sara... you have a golden rule. Should I remind you of it? The one rule you've never broken?
I arrived at my parents' house, greeted immediately by the warm, savory aroma of roasting chicken wafting from the kitchen. Mom was there, dutifully watching over the oven like it held the secrets of the universe. I dropped my briefcase on the couch and made my way to her, barely stepping into the kitchen before she pulled me into a tight hug."How's my favorite businesswoman?" she asked, her voice cheerful."A little tired from last night, but doing well. Lots of work," I lied smoothly."Is partying considered work now? Wow, what a life. I'm so jealous," Louis chimed in from his perch, glued to his phone as usual."Do you ever get tired of assuming the worst about me and being right?" I shot back, narrowing my eyes at him."Never," he replied, grinning. "Oh, and Dad said to head up to his office as soon as you got here."I glanced at Mom for clarification, but she just shrugged. "You know how your father is. He probably wants to discuss paperwork before dinner. Just don't take t
Lawrence Lewis's P.O.V.It was hard to imagine my marriage to Emma getting any worse. The circumstances surrounding it were already enough to guarantee emotional disaster for both of us. Still, nothing could've prepared me for how dire her condition truly was.I wasn't just talking about the conversations I'd overheard between her and her mother or the pieces of her life I'd slowly uncovered. I meant her actual health.The results from her exams at the clinic today had been abysmal. Severe dehydration. Stomach inflammation. And then there was the psychological evaluation—depression and anxiety wrapped up in a neat little bow labeled "wedding gifts".This entire wedding, being rushed forward by Victoria and Mark at breakneck speed, was utterly ridiculous. The constant rescheduling and the relentless pressure had pushed Emma to her limits. She looked like a ghost, and even though she promised her doctors she'd stick to her treatment plan, none of us had any guarantee she would.From
The infamous Jason must have something special. It was the only explanation I could fathom for Emma's state and why Sara had come to trust him so much. My grip tightened involuntarily on the steering wheel. Realizing it, I forced myself to ease up and focus on the present."Don't dwell on those thoughts," I muttered to myself. "They won't lead anywhere good."Emma fell silent beside me, wiping at her tears with trembling hands. My phone rang unexpectedly, breaking the uneasy quiet. Seeing it was Julian, I picked up."Lawrence," came his clipped tone. "I'm with Richard. We need to talk urgently. We're at Dad's office.""Did something happen to Dad?" I asked, already bracing myself."No, it's something else. Just get here," he replied curtly."I need to drop Emma off at her house first. I'll come after.""Fine." He hung up without another word."Is your brother still upset with you? Haven't you two resolved things yet?" Emma asked softly. Her innocent curiosity forced a small, hu
The chaotic shuffle of medical staff filled my father's room, mingling with the sound of Richard's quiet sobs as he clung to the side of the bed. Julian stood beside him, murmuring words of comfort, one hand resting on his shoulder. But none of that could drown out the piercing cries of Victoria."What are you doing?! Keep him alive!" she shrieked, her voice frantic and grating.The team wasn't idle—they were doing everything they could, yet nothing was working. The doctor hovered over my father's frail body, administering chest compressions with the precision of a machine. The defibrillator was deployed again, but even with its jolts, the results were the same."If he dies, every single one of you is fired!" Victoria yelled, her voice breaking as sweat dripped down her face.I stood there, an empty shell, too worn out to engage in the chaos unfolding around me. My gaze drifted to my father's skeletal figure, a man who had once been a giant in the room, now reduced to this pitiful
I glanced briefly toward my brothers. One was drowning in tears, and the other stared blankly into the distance, looking more lost than I'd ever seen him. They were like children, paralyzed, waiting for a call from their father that would never come."Richard and Julian are here too," I informed him softly.Lawrence's lips moved faintly, his voice a strained whisper I could barely catch. I leaned in closer, bracing myself to hear his words."They're not mine... those boys... they're not mine," he murmured, his breath hitching. "You... you're my only son."I froze. My chest tightened, my mind racing to make sense of what I'd just heard. His fragile voice had the weight of a hammer, breaking through years of buried suspicions.But before I could react, his body convulsed in a violent fit of coughing, the sound rattling through the room. His face twisted as though he were choking, and suddenly, Richard and Julian sprang into action, rushing to his bedside with panicked cries. Victori
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,