(Red’s POV)“This is your fault, Red,” Aya could not stop laughing as we reached the end of the bridge.“How did this become my fault?” I asked, looking at the sky as I panted; my heart was still pounding fast after our run. “You made the sky cry,” she breathed out, raising her head and squinting her eyes as if checking on the place.I clucked my tongue and shook my head. “Nope! You’re the one who made the sky cry.”“I guess I did. Still, it’s your fault for bringing up my past.” She curled her lips and moved her mouth from side to side as she looked ahead. “Oh, there!” She lifted her arm to point at the gazebo that looked like the usual stop for guests before deciding whether to continue their journey, hike or just sightsee in The Oak Lake park.“Red!” It was Vin’s voice.Aya and I turned our heads from his voice’s direction, and after a few seconds, we saw him dashing the bridge with an extra umbrella in his hand. He twitched his lips and shook his head when he saw us.“I guess yo
(Aya’s POV)Dante and Vin brought his ‘stuff’ in a black carry bag, a small duffel bag, and a paper bag, placing two bath towels on top of it before they left. They did not stay long, not even bothering to explain to Red what they were for, only telling him the area was secured. I almost rolled my eyes when I caught Vin winking at him.While Red opened the duffel bag, I checked the contents of the paper bag and found a bottle of vodka and two glasses. I took the bottle and raised it for him to see.“What are they up to giving us this?” I asked, glancing at him, but my eyes got glued to his body.I looked elsewhere, not wanting him to notice I could not get my eyes off him and that my cheeks were flushed red. I could not believe myself that I hoped to reach for him and touch his hard chest… and his arms. I swallowed hard, thinking about how my core got wet whenever he wrapped those arms around my body and kissed me. We should stick to our no-touching rule before things get out of hand
(Aya’s POV)No matter how beautiful the music was, it always had to end. The rainbow and the trees surrounding the gazebo… or maybe even the snake, it was still there… they were our witness that something enchanting had happened between Red and me, kissing passionately, but a call ended the magic immediately.Cora called, informing him of an urgent meeting. It wasn’t in his schedule, but Mike already explained to me that unless Red’s presence was not important in meetings, both online and face-to-face, Liam could attend for him.Red looked worried but not saying anything, so I insisted on packing up, lying that I had promised the kids to make their favorite dessert for dinner. There must be a big problem in the company because he spent time in his office with Cora and Liam as soon as we got home. At dinner, the maid had to bring their food to his office, but when I came to bring them coffee, I noticed they barely touched their meals.It was about eleven in the evening when I came back
(Aya’s POV)“Aya, do you plan to stay there forever?” Addie called from downstairs. “You can’t avoid Ryan that long, you know?”“I know! I’m… Coming?” I pouted as I put on my earrings.I had to come home to my apartment, afraid that Ryan might show up here to pick me up even if I told him we would meet at Lucy’s Kitchen. He had this habit of doing things even if I asked him not to do them.My eyebrows knitted, looking at myself in the full-length mirror while thinking why on earth Red wanted me to look my best tonight. Ariana still had plenty of gifts I had not used, and plain ones would be better, not as provocative as this one. I did not want Ryan to think I had other motives tonight.I asked Red how long he thought I would stay with Ryan in the restaurant when all I had to do was return the parure and break the news to him that I was already married. He only smirked and joked that I should break up with Ryan in style, so here I was, looking at my reflection wearing the knee-length
(Aya’s POV)I had been working in Lucy’s Kitchen for years already, but this was the first I could hardly make a step to enter the restaurant. I took a deep breath, hoping Ryan had not arrived at the restaurant yet so I could have time to chat with Lucy. After gathering all the courage in my bones, I pushed the door open and was startled to see my manager standing in the doorway.“Lucy!” I faked a smile, puffing out air and feeling the sweat beading on my forehead.“Problem, Aya?” Her lips trembled as she asked. “I’ve been watching you from the screen. What are you doing outside? Why didn’t you enter right away?” She asked, anchoring her arm to mine and leading me to the dining area.It was no wonder she did not look surprised when she saw me. She had been watching and waiting for me to enter the restaurant from the receptionist’s area. As for what reason, I didn’t have the time to ask since I was too nervous about what would happen today.“You’re making me nervous,” Lucy murmured but
(Aya’s POV)“Will you marry me, Aya?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with delight as he waited for my answer.I gaped at him, also hoping to pull down my eyebrows and close my mouth because I surely looked like an idiot in front of Ryan. The universe must have gone mad, giving me two marriage proposals in just one month, and like how I met him, in Red’s case, I let my guard down, saying yes because of his children and… perhaps my annoyance with him because he pestered me until I say yes?“I should be asking this with the champagne and cake, but when you stopped the server, I got nervous that I couldn’t wait anymore.”I swallowed hard, blinking while laying my eyes on the engagement ring, not realizing we would come to this moment. Knowing Ryan, I should have anticipated that he always treated me like his prospective client, selling himself with the ultimate goal of closing a deal with me, which, most of the time, we ended up in bed.“I was never that perfect boyfriend for you, not being
(Aya’s POV)I lowered my head, not wanting him to see the tears shimmering in my eyes and the anger on my face.“You will never be happy, Aya,” He muttered angrily as if cursing me. “You’re no different from this parure.”My lips trembled, pursing my lips and breathing hard before speaking again. “I’m glad I did not choose you, Ryan,” I sniffled, hating him for breaking my heart this way.Couldn’t he just say he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me?“You wasted my time and money,” he said, taking his wallet from his suit jacket’s pocket.“Then don’t pay for this,” I gritted my teeth.“Let this be my parting gift to you,” he murmured angrily, standing up and leaving cash more than the cost he spent for the champagne and whatever he ordered in advance.I pressed my lips as I held my tears, hoping they would not flow down my cheeks. Sniffling, I raised my head and watched Ryan leave the restaurant. I made the mistake of closing my eyelids as it pressed the tears from my eyes.“Re
(Red’s POV)“What happened, baby?”To question what had occurred was stupid because I knew exactly what had happened today except for their conversation inside the restaurant. Liam and Mike interrogated me last night as if I was guilty of a crime, asking me if I had fallen in love with Aya to waste time and effort in making her believe I left today and would not return until Friday.Yes. No. Maybe.All I knew was that my heart hammered in my chest as soon as I saw her in the elevator, crying, and I could not help feeling bad for myself that she was forced to break up with her boyfriend because of my kids and me. When I opened my arms to her, she ran to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, burying her face into my chest as she cried. I embraced her, my fingers brushing her hair, hoping it would ease her pain. I sighed, wanting to apologize for getting in the way of having a promising future with Ryan.I let her cry for a while, and when she had stopped sobbing, I moved slightly awa
(Aya’s POV) Three months later... I raised my hand, my fingers trailing my little one’s soft skin as she had her milk from my breast. I smiled when she stopped, a habit she seemed to have whenever she heard something familiar. “You heard daddy’s voice, Athena?” I asked lovingly. When I raised my head, my lips curved into a sweet smile seeing Red stopping and leaning on the doorframe. He kept his cell phone inside his pocket and gazed at us. “Cora left already?” I asked as I fixed my nursing bra and thought to pump milk later. I could not believe I was blessed with lots of milk. He shook his head. “She’s hiking with Ariana tomorrow. Can you believe it?” He chuckled. “Or should I call a rescuer in advance?” I chuckled, shaking my head. “Don’t say that in front of your sister. She might think of something else, like camping there for the night. So, please...” As Roman promised, his two children, Ariana and Red, stayed until I gave birth, and they seemed to have changed their mind
(Red’s POV)“Are you sure?” Mike asked me as Emmet and Scarlett went to the playroom to talk to Rosie.“You said it yourself, Mike, that even if I don’t press charges, she will still go to jail,” I muttered, sighing as I eyed Aya sitting in the living room, murmuring words to our little one as she caressed her belly.I hoped it was still because of her pregnancy that she was soft-hearted, sobbing over the story she heard from Scarlett. She lived poorly with Emmet, who worked as a security guard in a warehouse in the province he mentioned, but she never looked sad, not even regretting marrying him. If asked, she said she wanted to stay dead in her family’s eyes rather than go back, but Sherrilyn found her again, threatening her of hurting Emmet and Rosie if she didn’t help her with money. Sherrilyn must have forgotten that even her daughter signed a prenuptial agreement before our marriage, and the few gifts I gave her as a gift would take time to repossess because of her death. “But
(Aya’s POV)Almost eight months ago, when I first came here to the Carlington Residence, I believed I was born a selfless person with no ‘me’ time in my system. I had never expected to be part of this family when all I wanted at that time was to get a job and replace the parure Ryan gave me. I was not qualified for the job, but I had to lie to Red. The pieces of jewelry, the need for money, and the hope of finishing my studies and getting a good job for my father and Katie were the forces that pushed me to pretend to be someone else. Who knew I would meet Red, the man who had told me many times I was not qualified, had given me a chance because of his love for his children? It was not even a year, but a lot of things had happened in my life. I turned my head and gazed lovingly at my husband. He didn’t have to say it, but I knew deep inside he was hurting. I might not have witnessed their long years of marriage before the plane crash, but I saw how he tried to cope, live for his chil
(Aya’s POV)“Think, Sherrilyn,” I chuckled nervously. “The restroom is small for me to trip. And wait! Are you threatening me?”I thought of different ways to run toward the door, but Sherrilyn’s plan of possibly pushing me would be more realistic than the one in the restroom. I took a deep breath to calm myself and hoped Red would come on time. If I weren’t pregnant, I would care less about what she planned to do, but my sole concern now is my child.“Mom, will you please stop!” Scarlett grabbed her mother’s arm, stopping her.“Stop?” Sherrilyn hissed at her daughter. “As long as she’s here, she’s going to be the end of you.”“What do you plan to do with her, huh?” She asked annoyingly. “We’ll only make Red furious. Mom, all my life, I did what you wanted. Will you listen to me once? Let Aya go.”“What’s happening with you?” Sherrilyn brushed off her hand and gave her daughter a dagger look. “Have you gone mad?”“No!” Scarlett stood before her, blocking Sherrilyn from coming to me. “
(Aya’s POV)“Did you bring everything you needed?” Addie chuckled, asking me jokingly the same question she had the first time I got here in the villa in Rose Hills.I laughed as I get off the car, hating that I had to feel like my bladder was about to explode if I didn’t find a toilet right this minute. I had no intention of getting inside the villa, but Dante stopped the car in the driveway. I already had the chills, my tiny hair standing up, and my baby seemed to feel my need as it moved and kicked. I almost rolled my hair, seeing Scarlett standing in the doorway, waiting for her family.“I’m not sure I need them now, Addie,” I growled on the phone, thinking quickly about where the nearest restroom would be. “What I want now is to pee, and if I don’t, I’ll leak in Gino’s car… or worse, here in the porch!”“Then leak there first. I’m sure Scarlett won’t mind,” she advised. “Got to go, cous. We have a guest. Take care, okay?” she said, ending the call.“Why don’t you use the one nea
(Aya’s POV)“Will I get a discount if I give referrals?” Miles smiled as he picked up his cup of coffee. His eyes wandered around the common room.“Even if you don’t give referrals, Miles. I’ll still give you a discount... or maybe have your accommodation for free,” I promised him.Miles chuckled. “I’ll call you when I have the time to hike,” he sipped his coffee and then put his cup back on the center table. “But before my hiking plans, I should close this case first.”He must be working overtime; his wide-set eyes looked tired but still focused on our discussion. I wondered if he had ever slept or had time to eat. When Red called Mike and asked them to come, they arrived in less than three hours at the lodge.It was almost midnight.“You should go home, Red,” Miles said, surprising us with his advice. “Bring the kids back to the villa and pretend for a while, at least for the kids, that everything’s normal between you and Scarlett.”“I think it’s too late for that,” I cut in and smi
(Red’s POV)“Did we do something wrong?” Blue blinked his adorable eyes at me. “I’m okay having a baby sister, I swear!” He said, raising his right hand. “It’s okay we lost the bet.”We were in the main bedroom, looking like having a story-telling class, when I asked them to sit on the bed while Aya and I sat, almost leaning on the bed’s headboard, facing the children.“No,” Violet answered without breaking her gaze at me. “Mom and Dad are going to talk to us about Emmet and Rosie... and mom... the Scarlett mom,” she muttered, emphasizing her mother’s name.Katie pursed her lips as she played with her slime toy. “Why is your mom also Rosie’s mom?” she asked, leaning forward to look at Violet and her round eyes blinking curiously at her sister.She leaned back when my eldest daughter pursed her lips. Katie’s eyebrows knitted as she thought, then she shrugged her shoulders and continued playing with her toy.Violet sighed. “I hope I know the answer to that question, Katie,” she muttered
(Red’s POV)“You... know that I am Scarlett’s...” I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists but trying to control myself from hitting Emmet’s face.Emmet met my eyes and slowly shook his head. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened his eyes, he looked at his sister.“Emily, why don’t you take Rosie home?” He begged and smiled sadly at his daughter.“I don’t want to go home yet,” Rosie pouted her lips, her eyes pleading with him to let her stay.“You should listen to your daddy. Go home, Rosie,” Blue said as he got off his chair. “I’ll play outside. Triplets, do you like to play with me?”This was the first time I saw my children push away another child. Ariana always said that my kids could be awarded for amiableness and friendliness, which she sometimes disliked because it sometimes ended up trouble for her wallet when my kids also wanted to treat others with ice cream or any treats. My twins, even Katie, the sweetest of our daughters, said nothing about Rosie. She got
(Aya’s POV) “Can we name our baby sister now,” Green muttered excitedly as he ate his cake. Red turned his head to me, raising his eyebrows and asking me in silence if it was okay. I nodded, also excited about their suggestions. “Oh…kay…” He nodded slowly to them. “We’re open to suggestions,” he said, emphasizing the last word and glancing at the open main door when a familiar girl peered from the outside. “Can we do that later? We have guests.” Emily showed up at the door, smiling apologetically at us and glancing at the little girl she was with. For Rosie’s sake, I begged Red not to file a case against Emmet because on the day he ran toward me, he was not attacking; he was also trying to catch me. Violet smiled at Rosie, walking toward her and extending her hand to the child. “Hi, Rosie. Do you like cupcakes?” She nodded, her eyes wide as she looked interestingly at the balloons. She grabbed Violet’s hand and followed her toward the table. Red and I walked toward Emily, who st