Trina’s POV I kept on staring at the piece of paper in my hands, with my brow furrowed in confusion. The scrawled numbers and letters in Justin's neat handwriting seemed to dance before my eyes, refusing to make sense and he hadn't said anything in response to my earlier question. Looking up at him, I asked in a confused tone. “Justin, this looks like an address, but... for where?"However, Justin's expression just remained grim and instead of answering my questions, he just kept his eyes locked on mine, without uttering a word. It was as if he wanted me to piece it together myself, to come to the realization on my own.And then, like a bolt of lightning, it suddenly hit me.My eyes widened, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. "Is this... is this what I think it is?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.Justin slowly nodded, his expression softening just a little bit. "Yes, Tri. It is." he said quietly. "It's your mother's grave. The address you asked me to find while y
The realization hit me like a physical blow. I instantly stumbled forward, falling to my knees beside the mound as a sudden wave of vertigo overcame me. Emotional and frantic, I don't know when my fingers began digging into the earth, grasping at the grass as if I could somehow reach through the soil and touch her. Touch my beloved mom whom I haven't seen in many years and will never see ever again…"Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Oh, Mom!"The tears pricking behind my eyes then came loose like a dam, hot and relentless. They streamed down my face as years of pent-up grief and anger poured out of me. I sobbed uncontrollably, my body shaking with the force of my emotions.This was worse than anything I could have imagined. There was no headstone, no marker, nothing to indicate that a beloved woman rested here. It was as if that evil father of mine and his equally evil wife had tried to erase her very existence, to hide her away from the world like a shameful secret.I felt Just
Trina's POV The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur, with preparations of the memorial area already in place. Very soon, it was Monday and once again, I was faced with the reality of Eleanor being enrolled into Jayden's elite school. Mr. McAllister had mentioned that I am exempted from going to work at the mansion today since I have to go to the school this morning and complete the paperwork that required my signature.However, even when my alarm woke me up at the crack of dawn, I still had no intention of going to that school this morning. But Eleanor, my vibrant little firecracker had no such misgivings as she unexpectedly bounced into my room even before I got up, with her strawberry blonde pigtails swinging wildly as she jumped onto my bed."Mommy! Mommy! Is today the day? Are we going to my new school today?" Her light blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and I instantly felt a pang of guilt twist in my stomach.I forced a smile, running my fingers through her soft curls. "No
Trina’s POV The room suddenly seemed to tilt on its axis as a wave of vertigo overcame me. I gripped the arms of my chair, struggling to process this information. "That's... that's impossible. There must be some mistake."Mrs. Hartley's smile never wavered. "I assure you, there's no mistake. Mr. McAllister was quite clear in his instructions and all the payments have been signed, sealed and delivered already. Now, shall we proceed with the paperwork?"I nodded numbly, my mind reeling as I mechanically signed one form after another. Deep down, my mind was buzzing, as I tried to process the implications of what I had just learned. Mr. McAllister had paid for Eleanor's education, not just for a term, but until she graduates! And that too, years in advance, without even consulting me!"Are you alright, Ms. Ryder?" The headmistress's voice sounded distant, muffled by the roaring in my ears.I forced myself to nod, as I signed the last form."Thank you," I managed to say, my voice soundin
Trina’s POV I shifted from one foot to another as I nervously stood in front of my intimidating and charismatic boss, who was sitting down behind his imposing desk and looking at me with those piercing grey orbs of his. I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully before speaking, after all, I was talking to the so-called Mr. Meticulous."Does that mean you will sell the land to Justin's company?"Mr. McAllister's face remained impassive, and with his steely grey eyes still fixed on mine, he calmly stated. "No, Ms Ryder. The land isn't for sale."My heart sank as his words hit me like a blow to my gut. I felt the panic rising in my chest. And I didn't know when I blurted out, "But... but you promised! Just a few moments ago you said that if I agreed to the school fees payment, you wouldn't build an oil refinery on that land! So why are you going back on your own words in just a matter of seconds?"Mr. McAllister leaned back in his leather recliner, and steepled his long fingers
Trina’s POV "A memorial," he mused, leaning back in his chair. "For your mother and other heroines. That's quite an ambitious project, Ms. Ryder."I nodded, feeling both vulnerable and defiant at the same time. But in a firm voice, I responded to him. "It's important. These women deserve to be remembered, to have their stories told."That's all he needs to know. He doesn't have to know the details of my beloved mom's sorrowful life and why I really want to create the memorial for her. My family secrets are mine to keep!Mr. McAllister was quiet for a moment, with his fingers drumming lightly on the polished surface of his desk. I held my breath, waiting for his response. Would he laugh at my dream? Dismiss it as foolish sentimentality?But when he spoke, his voice was surprisingly gentle. "I can see why this means so much to you," he said. "Your passion is... admirable."I blinked, caught off guard by his words. Was Mr. Zane McAllister, the notoriously ruthless businessman, actually
Zane’s POV I watched as the color instantly drained from Ms. Ryder's face as my words sank in. For a moment, I couldn't help but feel a bit... off. Was the idea of being my wife really so repulsive? I quickly pushed the unfamiliar sensation of discomfort aside, as I maintained my usual mask of indifference."W...what?!" Ms. Ryder finally managed to stammer, with her voice barely above a whisper.I leaned back in my chair, and in a cool, calm tone as if I was just discussing the weather, I clarified. "My pretend wife. Be my pretend wife for a certain period of time, and your dreams of creating the memorial area will be fulfilled. Consider it a trade by barter."The words hung in the air between us, heavy with implication. I could almost see the gears turning in Mr. Ryder's mind as she struggled to process my unexpected proposal. Her hazel eyes, usually so full of fire and determination, now appeared confused and wary.I remained still, with my gaze fixed on her face. Years of high-st
Zane's POV Jayden had simply asked for a visit to his mother's grave. The grave that didn't exist, at least not where I had told him it did. When I was told his mother died after giving birth to him, I never knew or even bothered to know where she was buried. And when my overly smart son grew up and asked, I had no option but to lie that she was buried faraway in my ancestral homeland in the countryside.The lie had seemed harmless at first, a way to protect him from the pain and hurt of the real truth. But now, it has grown into something more complicated. I had avoided returning to my supposed homeland for years, knowing that to do so would be to invite scrutiny and questions I wasn't prepared to answer. But Jayden's request had backed me into a corner. I couldn't deny him this, not when it's the first thing he had ever requested from me.And so, I would have to face them. My so-called family, or as Randolph would say, those greedy vultures with their claws ever ready to sink them
Trina’s POV My heart instantly skipped a beat and as I turned to look at him, I felt Justin's hand pull away from mine before he hastily wrapped it around my waist in a possessive manner.Just like that, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as Zane descended the stairs in a slow, majestic manner, like a predator advancing towards its preys, with his eyes never leaving Justin. I held my breath, praying to God to intervene and prevent a tense confrontation."Myers." Zane's voice was as frosty as ice when he addressed Justin. "To what do we owe this... unexpected pleasure?"Justin’s arm tightened around my waist, making Zane’s eyes to ever so fleetingly drop to it before instantly looking back at Justin.He responded, "I wasn't aware I needed a reason or your permission to visit my girlfriend and her daughter."O.M.G!! How could Justin do this to me? The word 'girlfriend' hung in the air, increasing the already tense atmosphere a hundred fold more. I felt my heart
Trina’s POV As the kids had firmly locked the door behind them in Jayden's computer and games room and Zane was in his bigger study room which was upstairs, I was all alone downstairs, except for the domestic staff who were all taking a break from their usual duties for the time being.To keep myself occupied, I started browsing about ideas about how to hold a funeral for an already buried loved one and also ideas about the memorial area I want to create in Mom's burial ground after this charade of a pretend marriage is all over. I was deeply engrossed in my research when the intercom connecting the gates to the inner parts of the mansion buzzed. And as I answered, I heard the familiar voice of one of the security guards, Nelson, say to me. “Good afternoon ma’am. There's a Justin Myers here to see you. Should we let him in?”My brows instantly furrowed even as my heart began pounding in trepidation. Justin in the McAllister mansion?! What on earth is he doing here?!Subconsciously,
Trina's POV I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as I watched Eleanor orchestrate yet another "family" scenario. This time, she had Jayden and Zane himself setting up a picnic in the sprawling gardens of the McAllister mansion. It was quite surreal, seeing the cold and aloof, highly charismatic and intimidating billionaire– The enigmatic Mr. Zane McAllister doing something so domestic as laying out a checkered blanket while his equally aloof and charismatic son, Jayden McAllister, carefully arranged a basket of sandwiches on the spread blanket.As I watched them from afar in awe, I suddenly heard my mischievous little munchkin’s voice break into my thoughts."Mommy! Daddy says we need your famous lemonade for our picnic!"For the umpteenth time, I felt a flutter in my stomach when I heard Eleanor call Zane 'Daddy,' even though I have been hearing it for over a week now and I also know it was all pretend. Forcing a smile on my face, I replied to her. "Lemonade coming
Jayden McAllister's POV I could feel Eleanor's excited eyes on me, trying to get an eye contact so we can celebrate our mini victory but I refused to allow the contact since Dad's highly perceptive eyes were on me and I don't want to risk him finding out about our plan.Later after breakfast, as we made our way to Dad's sleek black car, I couldn't help but notice how Mom hesitated before taking the front passenger seat. And when he drove us to the school, I noticed that Dad's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, as if he was also nervous about the whole thing but keeping cool about it like the aloof and indifferent billionaire everyone knows him to be.Unlike her usual self, Eleanor was very quiet during the ride to the school and from the rearview mirror, I could see Mom stealing glances at her with a concerned look on her face. When she could no longer handle it, she turned in her seat to look back at us. "Aren’t you excited, Ella sweetie? First day at a new school is always
Jayden McAllister's POV I must give my twin sister her well deserved accolade– she's indeed a master when it comes to plotting and mischievous pranks, especially when she sets her heart into doing something. And she has not only set her heart, but also her mind and her soul into bringing our parents back together after whatever it was that separated them in the past. On that fateful day when Dad announced we were going on a family vacation to his hometown, I had caught Eleanor's eye across the breakfast table. She gave me that mischievous look of hers– the one that said she was up to something– and I knew right then that our lives were about to get a whole lot more interesting! And when I said my goodbyes and set out to go to school, I had lingered at the door, only to hear her say to them in her characteristic chirpy tone."I'm going off to my kingdom as well but before then, remember what my big bro just told you; practice makes perfect. Jay-jay and I have already started our ow
Trina's POV “Mr. McAllister comes from a middle-class family in Dripping Springs, Texas. His father, Donald McAllister owns and maintains a ranch there. The ranch is a family heirloom, it's been in the family for generations. Zaynie is his only son."This time around, he didn't bother to correct his slip of tongue and that made me realise that Mr. McAllister and him might be closer than they appear to be if he calls him by a nickname."Zaynie's mother died immediately after giving birth to him, and his father remarried early… too early if you ask me.”I shook my head as I said, “That's so sad. So he grew up without knowing his own Mom!”Randolph let out a grim smile as he heard that, before saying, “Yeah, but what was even more sadder was the way his father and stepmom treated him. You see, my family worked for the McAllister ranch for generations and so I grew up there, working as the dairy person in charge of milking all the cows. So I have known Zaynie ever since he was born. As a
Trina's POV Time seemed to slow down as I sensed Zane’s hand a fraction of an inch away from my face. With my heart pounding so hard like never before, I held my breath, waiting for the touch of his fingers on my skin...However, it never came.Instead, I felt a slight movement of air as his hand reached past me. My eyes flew open just in time to see him grab his suit jacket from the hook on the wall behind me."Then you better start practicing about how to act as a caring wife," he said, his voice calm and cool as if nothing had happened. "I'm off to the office."And just like that, he was gone, leaving me pressed against the wall, with my heart still pounding dangerously and my mind reeling.I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened– or rather, what hadn't happened. Had I imagined the tension? The heated look in his eyes? The way his gaze had lingered on my lips?Shaking my head, I pushed myself away from the wall and took a deep breath. This arrangement
Trina’s POV Eleanor's eyes widened as big as saucers, and even Jayden looked pleasantly surprised. But before I could process their reactions, Zane quickly added, "As a pretend family." He paused, his gaze sweeping over all of us. "I've made an arrangement with… your mother that will benefit us both. And to make this… venture successful, we will need your maximum cooperation."I watched the children carefully, trying to gauge their reactions. To my surprise, Eleanor and Jayden exchanged another look, this one filled with something I couldn't quite decipher. Was that... a wink from Eleanor to Jayden? Hmm, judging from her hyper excitement from earlier and her actions now, I know my mischievous little munchkin was definitely up to something. But the question is, what? And how on earth had she managed to thaw the usually cold and aloof Jayden like this?"A pretend family vacation?" Eleanor asked, her voice dripping with innocence that I knew was entirely feigned. "That sounds like fun!
Trina's POV As my little munchkin and I made our way to the McAllister mansion, I couldn't help but notice her unusually bubbly demeanor. Even though my little firecracker was always full of life, today she seemed to be practically bursting with excitement. I’ve never seen her being this restless and excited over anything. As if she read my mind, she hyper excitedly squealed, “Mommy, hurry! I can't wait to see everyone!"I chuckled, before glancing at her in the rearview mirror and asking, “Calm down, sweetie. We go there every day, remember? Tell me, what's got you so hyper this morning?”She flashed me one of her famous mischievous grins before responding in a fake innocent tone. "Oh, nothing, Mommy. I just have a feeling today's going to be a great day!"Alarm bells instantly rang on my head so I quickly said. “Ella sweetie, remember the promise you made to me when we started going to the McAllister mansion? You wouldn't break it by playing a prank on anyone in the house, would