(Lexi’s POV)“But why?” I asked curiously.A little gossip for my sister would not hurt them anyway. I still need to protect her even from my boss.“Finn’s not Sky.” She sighed. “Finn’s a nice man… a good brother, a good son, and best at his job, but a bit wet behind the ears when it comes to relationships. He’s like his children, loves to play around, except for Colonel.”I nodded, showing Catherine I understood, wanting to ask her if his children have different mothers since he has many girlfriends. I bit my bottom lip because it was something I forgot to ask Lexa last night if she knew that Finn had children.“Don’t worry, Catherine,” I smiled at her, putting my hand on top of hers on my forearm. “Even if he’s the last man on earth, I won’t fall for him,” I said, then knitted my eyebrows and laughed. “I guess I would probably change my mind if he were the last man on earth, right? I’ll get my name enlisted.”I wondered if Lexa would love to share him with me if Finn would be the la
(Finn’s POV)“I’m Lexi, your secretary.”Her words were an ice bucket thrown at my head that woke me up, stopping me from kissing her. I cleared my throat and looked closer at her.“Are you okay? Did Colonel hurt you?” I glanced at my dog. However, I doubted if my St. Bernard dog would do such a thing. He was now calm, lying on the floor and looking bored at us. I must have disappointed him by taking away his new playmate, still in my arms.“It -” Lexi pointed at the dog, which raised its head and wagged its tail.“He,” I corrected. All my pet dogs were my children, who were never an ‘it’ to me but important family members.She closed her eyes for a brief second and looked at Colonel, shaking her head as she cried in silence.“Lexi,” I called her name, wanting us to be free from our still awkward position.It seemed my body was not cooperating with my heart, screaming that she was not Lexa. Even my head on top of my body could not convince the head below that she was my secretary, a d
(Lexi’s POV)It was a stupid suggestion, but Finn's lips claimed mine before I could back away with it. Unlike my twin sister, I have never been kissed, and sadly my first kiss was unforgettable since I was accused of lying and robbing him.I gasped when I felt Finn’s tongue touching my bottom lip as if knocking and hoping to let it in. He moved slightly away from me.“I think that’s enough,” he uttered in a low voice. I nodded. “Yeah,” I said, surprised I wanted more, curious about what would happen if we kissed like lovers. “I guess it was enough to know we’re different.”“Actually, no, it wasn’t,” he answered immediately.“Should we do it again?” I asked, my eyes blinking at him because his face was still close to mine.“Yeah! Just to make sure,” he said. “Can I touch you?” He shook his head when he saw my eyes widen. “I mean, just your chin.”I nodded at him, but as Finn held my chin, his touch sent a tingling sensation to my body. When his lips were on my mouth again, my heart
(Frank’s POV) “I’ve never seen you this excited in coming to the office, Frank,” Sky glanced at me, grinning as he looked quickly at his wristwatch, then at the changing colors of the floor buttons in the elevator. This has been one of the things I considered my perks when I was with Sky; the elevator would never be crowded unless his kids were with us in the elevator. No employee would want to join the lift with the chairman of the company inside. I chuckled, checking the time. It was nine past fifteen already, reaching Sky’s goal after our business trip. He wanted us to arrive at the office before ten because he was hoping to see his wife, Angela, before starting his day. “I’m always this excited, Sky,” I muttered, half-smiling and cursing myself quietly that I could not hide my excitement in going to the office today. He scoffed at me. “I knew when you’re excited or not, Frank. Your only difference with Finn is that we may not be brothers by blood, but we’re family already.” I
(Frank’s POV)“Have you explained everything to her?” I asked Finn when Lexi left the room, not expecting him to answer me. Although we’re friends, I never bothered him in the workplace.“She signed the contract, Frank. What do you want me to do?” He grinned, glancing at me and then turning his eyes on the screen.I almost hissed at him, wishing we were drinking rather than talking in his office. It was easier to talk to Finn about women when we were holding glasses of alcohol than being here in the office. I chose just to heave a deep sigh rather than talk and reminded myself that desperation could be powerful, and Finn seemed to have won a prize for getting a secretary.A work wife.It was worse than the condition I signed a few years back.Finn turned his head toward the door and impatiently pursed his lips. “I only ask her to photocopy the contract. What’s taking her this long?”“I’ll check on her,” I muttered in a low voice, keeping my temper and standing up.“Thank you. The mach
(Lexi’s POV)I must be sick, repeatedly blinking at the document in my hand. Today was the third time I had seen my contract, the first was when I stupidly signed it without reading the contents, and the second was when Catherine and I reviewed the details.“You’re allowed to breathe, Lexi,” Finn grinned as he relaxed, leaning on the backrest of his executive chair.Frank heaved a sigh, his silent way of saying the same, so I inhaled and exhaled, doing it again as I thought, why on earth did I get trapped in this contract?Ah! It was my earnest hope that I would be able to help my twin sister in earning and saving money for Aliyah’s operation. She wasn’t even a year older than me, just a few minutes, but between us, she had a greater share in our expenses at home since she earned more from singing at the bar. I needed a good and stable job.I read the first part, nodding and agreeing that I would faithfully do the best of my ability to carry out my duties and responsibilities as his w
(Lexi’s POV)“Well, Frank’s a good man,” Finn muttered, leaning again on the backrest and looking at me, but he avoided my eyes when I turned my head to him.“I know,” I said.“Ah, you know… Really?” He raised his eyebrows as if I had said something funny. He crossed his arms to his chest and looked at Finn, then me.“I know a good man when I see one, Finn,” I said, and Frank is one, but he seemed not ready to let it go, poking fun at me.He nodded, lifting the corners of his mouth, but his reaction did not convince me, annoying me more.“But…” He met my eyes. “Why him?”“I’m here, Finn,” Frank scoffed and waved his hand. “I’m the one she wanted to date. Do you have a problem with it? Can’t you accept that she wants to date me, not you?”“I know a good man when I see one, Finn,” Finn said the exact words I uttered a while ago, copying my tone and facial expression. “I don’t care if she wants to date you, Frank. She’s the one who started it.”“Me?” I rolled my eyes. “You’re the one who
(Lexi’s POV)It was only before six in the evening when I got home.Exhausted, I sat on the couch, leaned on the backrest, and closed my eyes, replaying in my mind how my day had gone. Finn didn’t mind that I spent most of my day with Frank as he busied himself attending meetings. When he left his office this morning, he didn’t return, just sending me a message to learn everything I could from Frank.Frank was a real gentleman and a professional, teaching me everything I needed to learn for my job. He showed me how he and Catherine dealt with their everyday work, especially on busy days. He gave me tips and a little information about how Finn worked and how I should push my boss when he felt uninspired to do his job. He shared how Angela and Finn competed at work despite holding and managing different companies and told me funny stories about them.Angela seemed to be the one pushing or inspiring Finn, but I didn’t see it that way. Something about him intrigued me, but I remembered I
(Finn’s POV) Five years later… As I talked to my brother, I leaned on my chair, propping my elbows on the table as I massaged my temple. Lexi had been giving me a hard time lately, and no matter how I explained to her that I didn’t care about not having children, I would still find her crying in the middle of the night. “Sky, I don’t know what to do. We could adopt one if she really wanted a baby-” I wanted to cry at my brother. “Just be patient with her, Finn. We all know how much she has wanted to have her own child since the day she saw her nephew. And for sure, she’s having this kind of low feeling again because her twin sister just gave birth.” I heaved a sigh. “I know, but she was making me crazy lately.” “You know what? You two need a break. Why don’t you bring her on a date? Give all your time to her tonight,” he suggested. “You’re right. Maybe I’ve been working too hard,” I muttered. “Thanks, brother. Please, come home already. Be there on the weekend, okay?” Sky chuck
(Finn’s POV)My sister-in-law walked with my brother onto the stage and curved a sweet smile on her lips as she looked at everyone. Six months ago, I was here, watching my brother and my gorgeous sister-in-law make a very special announcement about the success of the company’s new project.At that time, I wondered where I would find another woman like Angela, but now, Frank and I were seated in the same spot with our own date. This wasn’t a big party, but a gathering with our family, friends, and relatives, wanting to be part of Angela and Sky’s number of babies reveal. Their children, three girls and two boys, were excitedly seated in front, and like us, they also had their guesses on the gender and number of babies.“This is insane and fun!” Anya exclaimed as she and Dylan joined us at the table.“Well, that’s our Angela,” He laughed. “So, let’s have our guess. One! Just one.”“One?” Frank shook his head. “Could be two, another twin.” He looked at Lexa. “What’s your guess, baby?”Le
(Lexi’s POV)It had been a month since the incident happened, and before Sky and Finn went on a business trip, he decided that the three of us stay in the mansion after the trauma from the Travis siblings. He even talked to Jocelyn, who seldom visited their home, to stay with us for a while. She happily obliged, but deep inside, I knew how much she loved the idea.But I think the one who enjoyed this setup the most was Elenita. She entered the family room and brought us snacks. Another maid came in with a tray filled with glasses, a pitcher of orange juice, and a cup of coffee for Jocelyn. She was sitting on the egg chair and reading Aliyah a book.“Lexi, Lexa,” called Elenita. “Sky’s looking for you in the garden.”“Sky’s back?” Lexa stood up.I pressed my lips, suppressing a smile because we were sure my twin sister was not excited about Sky coming back but about the man he was with.“Is he alone? Do you want me to call Angela?” Her eyes were hopeful as she looked at Elenita.“If Sk
(Finn’s POV)For how long I had been staring at the cross, I didn’t know. I was about to head back to the hotel, but my feet dragged me to the prayer room where Angela would usually go whenever we were here. As I sat in the front row and looked at the relic of the cross, I sniffled, wishing I was like my sister-in-law, having a big heart and full of faith in something she had never seen in her life.I wasn’t religious, but at this point, I wanted to believe that everything happened for a reason, wishing for miracles and hoping this would soon be over. If only I knew Lexi would get hurt, I should have just stayed in France and didn’t bother coming back.“Hey!” Angela muttered softly, sitting beside me and resting her head on my shoulder.Frank sat on my other side and noticed he had showered and changed his clothes. “Sky is waiting for your decision, Finn.”I took a deep breath. “Send her flowers. Make sure to order her favorites and tell the florist to make a beautiful one.”He nodded
(Finn’s POV)The sky was gravel-gray, looking somber as it waited for the large pillows of clouds to cover the sky. I never liked it when the sky looked sad because its color reflected the seawater, making the sea body melancholic… lifeless. I sighed, thinking it would rain any moment, but instead of looking for shelter, I stepped forward, going to the shore and stopping when the white foam of waves kissed my feet.My eyebrows knitted as my eyes fixed on the horizon, remembering I had been in this place, but I could not pinpoint when or why I was here. When I lowered my gaze, I saw a starfish washed to the shore, softly hitting my toes. I took a deep breath, thinking this had happened before.I closed my eyes and asked myself when or how.Ah, Freya!Now I realized this place didn’t exist, but I was in a state of unreality, a dream I had a few years ago. Only now, I was alone, but when I had this dream, Freya and I went into the water and swam as we loved swimming. And then we sat on t
(Lexi’s POV)The burly man in the black suit was in the corner of the room; his hands and feet were tied, and his mouth was gagged with a cloth, preventing him from screaming. It was his restrained scream that woke me up.I hardly knew him, but when I woke up earlier, I saw him watching the nurse’s every move, only leaving his post when Jocelyn entered my room. He must be one of the Mars’ security details, but his face was unfamiliar to me since Finn never had one. After what Chelsea did, I understood the danger of being alone in the hospital, but I thought it was too much since I was not an important person to guard.Who would want to kill me?He eyed the young man lying on the floor, and his eyes moved like he was pointing at the man standing and facing the light switch. I pressed the call button, hoping the nurse or anyone would see my emergency call immediately.If my wound were totally healed, I would have filled the room with my scream to get help, but as the man with the syring
(Lexi’s POV)Somebody must have taped my eyelids because I found them difficult to open. At first, I didn’t mind because Morpheus seemed to drag me into a deep sleep at most times, and believe me, I was happy and contented. I felt at peace with my parents, eating and seeing them delighted as they listened to me. But after we ate, my mom opened her arms and asked me to sit on her lap.I excitedly dashed to her, sitting on her lap. “Mom, I’m heavy already, you know,” I giggled.She pressed her lips on my cheeks. “I know, but I will always see you and Lexa as my babies. My beautiful babies.”My father wrapped his arms around us, humming the song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. I closed my eyes and sniffled as I listened to him.“We’re so proud of you and your sister,” Dad uttered as he stared at me with great love. I giggled again when they sandwiched me as mom kissed me on my right cheek and dad on my left.“Now, baby, go back to your sisters,” Mom said, her fingers trailing my face and s
(Frank’s POV)Lexa stared at the charming woman in white uniform for a second before scoffing and walking inside the room where the doctor and another medical specialist were. “Grrr! Of all days, you chose to be here,” I sneered at my cousin and watched Lexa talk to her doctor.“Oh, let me pour my name on your day, Frank,” Felicity grinned, holding my hand and tugging me excitedly beside Lexa on the bed.“You look more excited than the parents, Felicity,” the doctor smiled.Lexa looked at the young nurse; her lips pressed like she wanted to ask me but did not bother to raise the question.“She’s Felicity, my cousin,” I answered Lexa in her unuttered question and watched the doctor apply the gel to her belly. “My mom and her mom are sisters… A Mars.” “Oh,” She exclaimed and glanced at Felicity again. “Oh!” she gasped when the doctor pressed the small device against her skin and began to capture images on the screen.Dr. Lee smiled. “There’s your growing bundle of joy,” she exclaimed
(Frank’s POV)I never thought the long meeting would ever end. The Travis case seemed never-ending, and looking at Finn, like me, he wished to escape and be with the women we loved. Sky had been aware of the case of attempted hacking and had this under investigation. The private investigator reported that the hacking was not just Chelsea’s doing alone, but she was an accomplice to the crime. One thing she somehow did not expect was falling in love deeply with Finn when she had to lure him so her brother could tap into his office without being noticed. Chuck was an old employee of Quick Soft IT whom Sky had terminated three years ago because of grave misconduct, and now he was on the loose after the news of Chelsea’s death leaked on social media.“I’m going back to the hospital,” Finn muttered, looking exhausted.“No,” Sky shook his head, surprising Finn and me.“Sky,” He scowled, his brows knitting in disapproval of his brother’s decision.Sky heaved a sigh and grabbed his brother