Vivienne Sinclair married Caden Lawrence, hoping her love would melt his cold heart and that he would accept her as his wife sooner or later. But as they say about the best-laid plans, Caden never fell in love with her, nor did he accept her as his wife in front of the world. Three years later, Vivienne is hurt and broken, wanting nothing more than to break this toxic cycle of betrayal and constant rejection. She wants a divorce. “What gives you the right to ask me for a divorce?” he roars, looking angry. “It was you who seduced me! You who insisted on getting married. And now you want a divorce? I don’t think so.” But Vivi is tired of playing the role of a loving and obedient wife. She wants to live her life and explore other options. She wants to find the happiness and joy she was deprived of in her marriage. With the help of her friends and family, Vivi reveals her other identity as the world-class jewelry designer, Jasper Sterling, a name she had built after years of hard work during her failed marriage. She is strong, confident, and capable of living life on her own terms. And it’s time to let the whole world know. During one of the success parties, when Vivienne walks in with a handsome man by her side, everyone starts whispering. “Who is he?” people want to know. “Is she dating him?” Vivi and her new companion look good together. They make a perfect couple. But when Caden sees her with this mystery man, he can barely contain his rage. He pulls her aside and hisses. “You are making a mistake.” She laughs, kisses his cheek, and says, “No, darling. This is the start of my new life.”
View MoreI don’t want to get ahead of myself and give false hope to anyone. So I just smile and pinch his cheeks. “We’ll see. But for now, this will be our secret. Okay? You can’t tell anything to Axel. Not if you want him to get better.”Benjamin doesn’t need any more encouragement. He simply grins and makes a promise not to say a word.Once that’s settled, we head to where Vivienne and Axel are still sitting.When we reach them, I lean down and tip my head to the side. “Good morning, bud. How are you doing today?”Axel turns his head slightly toward the sound of my voice, his small hands still gently brushing over the grass. “Morning,” he says with a shy smile. “I’m good. Benjamin was telling me about some cool game… he made it sound really fun.”“I bet it is,” I say, crouching down so I’m level with him. “You know, if you ever want, I could maybe help set up a way for you to try it out.”Axel’s brows lift a little, curious. “Even if I can’t see?”“Even then,” I nod. “There’s always a way.”
[Caden]The next morning, when I wake up, my body feels like hell.Not because I’m sore from the sex marathon last night, but because—even after fucking Vivienne all night—I still crave her so damn hard.Shit. If only I had known how much I was really missing all these years, honest to God, I would’ve never let her go. And truth be told, I can’t even remember why I did in the first place. Maybe the time and distance blurred everything that mattered back then. Or maybe... I just can’t justify my reasons anymore—not now that I know what I’ve lost. Not now that I know nothing could ever come close to what I feel when she’s near me.I turn to my side, reaching for her, only to find her side of the bed cold.Damn it. When did she leave? Is she regretting last night?I’m not. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she is.After all, it wasn’t something either of us planned. All I know is that when I left that office and went to the guest room, I couldn’t think of anything but her lips on mine, my h
[Vivienne]“Anyway, it’s late now,” I finally say, after a long, awkward silence between us. “You should rest. We can continue this talk tomorrow.”“Or maybe we should keep talking,” he suggests instead, brows deeply furrowed, as if he’s in one of his bad moods but doesn’t want me to think he is.“You must be tired. The drive was long.”“I’m not.”“Well, I am,” I say, not sure how else to push this conversation to the morning. Because God knows, I can’t think straight anymore. My heart is beating too fast. My head is swaying too loud. And my skin… my skin is practically on fire.It’s been a long, long time since someone put me in such a daze with merely a touch. And the only person to do that—even back then—surprisingly, turns out to be Caden himself.That’s why I know I can’t be any closer to him. That’s why I know this conversation needs to end. And I need to lock myself in my room before I do something stupid…“You don’t look tired,” he says instead, watching me with that scrutiniz
Obviously, I don’t know what to say, but I can’t say it doesn’t make me furious to think about the kind of man she’s pegged me for all this time.That’s what I get for not being honest from the very beginning.I get it—all the accusations. The distrust. The disappointment.And it’s a bitter pill to swallow. I get it. I swear I do.But that doesn’t mean I’ll let her talk down to me like this, thinking of me as someone I’ve never been.“You know,” I say after a while, inhaling a deep breath and taking a few slow steps in her direction, “you and I—we’re no different from each other.”“You’ve lost your mind,” she scoffs, not even letting me finish. “If you think you and I are even in the same category. I’ve done nothing wrong in my life.”“And neither did I. I never cheated on you, or slept with Sasha or whatever woman you accuse me of being with. Yes, I might have accidentally kissed her once or twice, but let me tell you—it was what it was. An accident. I didn’t do it on purpose. I was…
[Caden]For a minute, a long silence follows after what Vivienne just said.And I don’t blame either one of us for it.How can I, when no matter how many times I try to wrap my head around what she just told me, I still fail to do so?How am I supposed to believe that someone wanted my child gone? And who was that woman? What was she trying to achieve with that accident? Was getting my unborn child killed the only thing she was after, or was there something else in the picture? And once again, who the hell was that woman, anyway?I’ll be honest with you. This all feels like a convenient story my ex-wife cooked up just to get me off her back. It very well sounds like one. Too bizarre. Too unpredictable. Too… impossible.But the way she’s looking at me—so tense, so worried, and damn frustrated—something stops me from calling her out on the lie.Because what if she’s telling the truth? What if everything she just said actually happened? There was an accident—that I know for sure. And the
[Vivienne]Due to the heavy traffic, the two-hour drive turns into four.By the time we make it to my grandparents’ estate, the sky has already partly darkened.I’m waiting for Caden to pass a comment any moment now.But as he pulls the car into the driveway and gets out to open the doors for the boys, nothing comes out of his mouth.I don’t know what to think, or say, or how to act.This is the first time I’ve brought him not just to any place, but to what I consider my true safe place.This is where I spent my days and nights during and after my pregnancy. This is the place I hid from the world, raising my kid alone.And now he’s here.I swallow hard.I glance toward him. He’s crouched down, helping Benjamin out of the car with a gentleness that knocks something loose in my chest.This isn’t fair.He doesn’t get to look like that—soft and careful—as if he hasn’t shown me the worst side of himself. As if he hasn’t been cruel and thoughtless and so arrogant in the past. As if he didn’
[Caden]Vivienne looks at me like I haven’t just told the truth—but slapped her across the face with it.Her eyes widen, her jaw drops slightly open. And then, just like that, the fire returns.“That’s not what I meant,” she snaps, eyes like daggers locked on mine. “I just don’t want to go to your home. That’s all. And before you ask why, let me tell you—I have my reasons. I hate that place you call home. I hate you. And I’d hate myself too if I ever stepped foot in that house again.”Somehow, while she spits out every word, my eyes fix on her mouth.She’s furious, clearly. But so am I.So the question is—who’s going to break first?“Fine,” I mutter, mostly because something clicks in my head that should’ve clicked years ago. Not that I’m about to let her know that. She already said she hates me—the last thing I need is her storming off before I even get the truth I came here for. “But we’re not going to your place either.”She crosses her arms. “Well then, I guess we’re stuck now.”S
[Vivienne]Was I ever planning to tell him the truth?Well, I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not?I mean, how does it matter anyway? He never wanted the kid in the first place—he made sure to tell me that much.Not once, but twice, he asked me to get rid of my pregnancy. So why, oh why, in any reality of this world, would he be interested in that kid again?To be honest? I don’t understand his anger at all. What is he so upset about? That I hid the truth from him about our child? Well, newsflash, Mr. Lawrence: if it were left to you, Axel wouldn’t have made it into the world in the first place—let alone for you to be mad about it.But I don’t tell him that. Not because I’m somehow afraid of him, but because the kids are here, and there’s no way I’m going to involve them in this mess. Sure, they’re inevitably part of this anyway, but for as long as I can shield them from the truth—or at least the harshness of it—I will do so with everything I have.So what do I do?I look back at Caden, then
[Caden]Axel beams like it’s Christmas morning. His little hand wraps around Benjamin’s again, and they both nod enthusiastically like I just handed them a treasure map and told them we’re off to find gold.I smile. At least, I think I do. At least enough for them to believe everything’s okay.But nothing is okay. Not even close.As I usher them toward the car, I can feel her eyes on me—Vivienne. The silence behind me weighs heavier than the truth I just unearthed. And that’s saying something.Because the truth?The truth is like a blade in the center of my chest, twisting slowly every time Axel looks at me like I’m a stranger.Because I am. I am a stranger.To my own damn son.He’s mine. I don’t need a test, I don’t need confirmation—I can feel it in my bones, in my gut, in the way his laugh dug itself under my skin the moment I heard it. That little boy is mine. And she didn’t tell me. Not when she had the chance. Not when it would’ve mattered.Why? Why would she do this to me? Why
[Vivienne]The dinner at the table turned cold an hour ago but no sign of Caden.I check the time on the wall clock for the hundredth time perhaps, and try to suppress the hurt that once again rises to the surface like an angry volcano beneath my chest.It’s our third anniversary, and it’s almost midnight now, but like every single day in the past three years, he’s late as usual.I don’t know why I even try. My husband has dismissed me, rejected my efforts, and broken my heart so many times in the past, one would think I would have learned my lesson.But unfortunately, I have been cursed to be always hopeful.“Madam, should I reheat the dinner?” The head maid asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.I suck in the hurt and wipe away the tears from my eyes, not wanting to look as devastated as I feel.I smile at her like I always do.“No. That won’t be necessary,” I say and get up from the chair, pretending to yawn, hoping to look tired. “I think Caden got caught up in the meeting again,” b...
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