Eric's POV As I worked, my eyes kept fluttering over to the clock, which hung on the wall.Collins had not gotten back to me with any reasonable lead or feedback.It almost drove me crazy.What exactly was Joanne up to? Why would she show up at my house naked and get someone to take a picture of us in a compromising position?I had a few ideas for the likely reasons she would do that, but I preferred to remain in denial of it than to bring it into reality by thinking that was why.Every notification on my phone had me rushing over to it, expecting a call from Collins, but they had turned out to be either business calls or messages.I growled angrily as I stood up and paced about for a moment thoughtfully.Joanne had to be stopped.I needed to get to the root of why she wanted to bring me down.I snatched my phone from the desk and scrolled to the last message she had sent to me back at Allura Gardens.I contemplated calling the number for a moment, but it was a private number.I bang
Emily's POV(Flashback)"... Lucy, oh my God!"As I stood in the hospital watching her, her finger trembled, and he pulled the book shut, but I took it from her hands."Did you draw all those amazing designs?" I asked her with my eyes lighting in amazement.She gave a shy nod.Still shocked at the beautiful dress she was drawing on the page, I flipped to the previous pages.There was one spectacular dress on every page, making it seem like a dream come true to me.It felt wonderful seeing someone who shared my passion as much as I did, even someone like Lucy. I miaged how much she could do if she was trained properly and given all that she needed."How long have you been sketching the designs?"She shrugged, playing with her fingers."Since I was thirteen, when some women came with their husbands to the orphanage to adopt kids. They wore the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. Since I couldn't have any of those dresses, I decided to draw them and imagine I could wear them."My hea
Emily's POV "What's this?"My heart pounded furiously against my ribcage as he approached me, leaving his phone on the bed.I stared anywhere but at him."The growling of your stomach would not let me sleep," I managed to keep my voice firm, but it still wavered a bit."Em... You didn't have to..."My heart shattered at his words.He never meant it when he said he missed my meals. Was this another way to reject my meals again like he had done in the past?His eyes held an unreadable emotion as he stared at me. Why did I make this meal? I swallowed the lump that was building in my chest and steeled my eyes to prevent my tears from rolling out."Oh.. It's - It's fine," I choked out, turning around and heading to the door. "I'll just take it back out."Before I could take another step, his arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me into a firm hug from behind.My heart raced.What was he doing exactly? What exactly did he think of the meal? What was going on in his mind?"Em, than
Eric's POV "Where exactly are you both going?My brows knitted together at my mother's questions.In my eager anticipation, I had barely seen her figure on the couch in the living room as her eyes watched us like a hawk.Emily turned to look at me, and I cleared my throat."We are going on a vacation."The vagueness in my tone was obviously deliberate."Why? What is the occasion?" "My wife and I are going for a kind of honeymoon renewal."Her eyes grew cold, but she said nothing more."We will be backing a couple of weeks. Don't miss us too much," I told her, and she just nodded.I followed her gaze, which was glaring behind me to find her glaring at Emily.Shaking my head in disapproval, I grabbed Emily's hand, and together, we walked out of the house."I do hope some heir comes out of your little fling," my mother's voice sounded behind us, causing us to stop in our tracks and stare at each other."Yes. I need to carry my grandchild!"Wordlessly, or peharps speechlessly, we took f
Eric's POV My hands curled into firm fists at his words.What in the world?The innocent eyes of Mia as she stared at me in confusion kept me from unleashing an outburst as badly as I wanted."I am on a honeymoon with my wife, Tristan. They can not be calling me at this moment for something like that," I stated as calmly I could muster through gritted teeth."I'm not sure about that, sir. The whole country has almost been thrown into a frenzy, and everyone is talking about it, sir. I've tried my best to water down the effect, but the press that released it are refusing to back down. They claim they have stronger implicating evidence against you."My clenched fists ached to slam into something, but I held myself together under the watchful gaze of Mia.I took a deep breath, letting my eyes glance over to Emily for a moment, but I found her staring at me already.Suddenly, the car felt hotter than ever, but I maintained my composure."I'm on a vacation now, Tristan. How about I call yo
Emily's POV My attention was pricked by the event the television was displaying.It was a review of the gala that was held in the previous years.No doubt, it had all my attention, especially when the broadcaster who displayed the live criticism of some of the oldest dressed and worst dressed celebrities who had attended the event.I had always been one to keep up with the latest trends when it came to designing.As I watched the fashion critic continue accessing and reviewing each dress, Joanne's dress for the last gala soon came into view.It was no doubt majestic, making me wonder who had designed such a beautiful piece for her.It also made me wonder why she had chosen me to design for her if she already had a designer who was that good.I was sure I could recreate the dress even more beautifully than it already was, but then, the one I was working on for her was more beautiful, I could bet.Would Joanne have considered me if not for the news that I was Eric Wilson's wife? As I
Emily's POV There I went again, melting into his arms like wax before the fire as his lips danced fiercely against mine. It felt like my mind flew out of the window as I relished every moment of our intimate connection. Peharps, it was the image of his naked torso that made me lose my sense. As his hands rid up my thigh, he lifted me in a swift move and sat me on the kitchen island. My hands explored his chest. I craved to feel the way he had made me feel back at Allura Gardens. It was the strangest feeling ever, to actually be loved and not just used. He had made me see him in a way that I had never seen him before. Back home five years ago, he would barge in and use me for his own pleasure alone, leaving me more frustrated than ever, but that day, he had me feeling like I was on cloud nine. Since I didn't get that every day, I threw caution to the wind for another of such passionate moments. He left blazing kisses down my jaw and explored my earlobe with his tongue
Emily's POV When my back hit the wall, I began to shake.He looked genuine, but my mind saw a monster. The moster I had lived with for the most part of my life."P-please," I found myself whispering and pleading with my eyes closed. "D-Don't touch me!"I knew it was possible for him to overpower me and have his way with me if he was so pleased. Somehow, all my resistance and strength vanished into thin air. I felt like the Emily again who had been raped countless times by him..I felt like I was in that room again, and he was coming at me with that dark and traumatising glint of annoyance and dusgust in his eyes.When his hands reached to touch me, I jumped, and a yelp escaped my lips."Em, it's me. I won't hurt you, I promise you with my life."That sounded hard to believe."Why did you bring me here, Eric? Tell me the truth. What exactly do you want from me? Do you want me back so you can dominate me again?"I felt a sense of weariness as I spoke, my body trembling with a sudden f
After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, music, and dancing. Mia twirled around, delighted to be part of it all, while Eric and I mingled with our guests. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real. This was the life we had built together, after all the hardships, after the struggles.During the toasts, there was another surprise in store. Tony, who had been promoted for his incredible work in turning in Rico and Lola, stood up to make a speech. But instead of the usual brotherly words, he turned to Alicia.“Alicia,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically nervous, “you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. You’ve become everything to me, and I can’t imagine a future without you.”There was a collective gasp as Tony dropped to one knee, holding a small ring box in his hands. “Will you marry me?”Alicia’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, with a soft laugh, she nodded. “Yes, Tony,” she whispered. “Yes.”The room erupted in
Emily's POV Six months after.It was a warm and cozy evening when Eric walked into the room.I stared at his empty hands and my mouth tilted downwards in disappointment. "I thought you were coming in with my food," I pouted, my arms folded across my chest.He smirked and walked to my bedside and placed a quick kiss on my forehead, sitting beside me on the bed."I see I've become so good at cooking that you want me to be your private chef," he teased, poking my nose slightly and I rolled my eyes.I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around his necks while he wrapped his around my waist. This had become a new normal for us every evening."Let's eat out tonight," he offered. "A friend is opening this new restaurant and wants us to be one of his first customers."I pouted. "Then their food had better be as perfect as yours."His nose flicked mine and we both laughed. As out laughter died down, we leaned into each other with our eyes transfixed, but we were suddenly interrupted by the lou
Eric’s POVI sat by her bedside, staring at her, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips, but when suddenly, her eyes dimmed. They didn’t light up with recognition. Instead, she squinted at me as if trying to place who I was.“Who are you?” she asked, her voice flat and cold.I frowned, thrown off by her question. “Emily, it’s me. Eric.”She tilted her head, her eyes bright with confusion. “Eric? Do I know an Eric?”For a moment, panic gripped me. Was this some kind of lingering effect from the coma? Had she forgotten me? My mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening, until I caught the twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips.Then, it hit me—she was pretending. This was probably her way of getting back at me for what I’d done to her months ago when I had pretended not to know her when I had awoken from my own coma, thinking it was the only way to protect her from the danger surrounding us. Ithad been a cruel thing to do, even if my intentions were to keep her safe. Now, s
Eric’s POVLola’s grip on Dante was ironclad, her hand steady as she pressed a knife to his kneck in a swift turn of events. Her face was a mask of cold determination, showing no trace of fear or doubt. The room was filled with Dante’s bodyguards, all standing frozen, unsure of what to do. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone."What the hell is going on here?" Dante gritted out unable to free himself from her choke hold.“Let me go, or I’ll blow his brains out,” Lola hissed, her voice low and menacing.I stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. I had never seen anyone so cold and mean in their resolve, and it was unsettling. Lola wasn’t bluffing; I could tell by the way her hands wrapped tightly around the knife and edged closer to his skin, the sharp edge of the blade graxing his neck. This wasn’t a game to her. It was life or death.Dante’s bodyguards exchan
Joanne’s POVI sat by Emily’s bedside, my eyes fixed on the slow rise and fall of her chest. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing that reassured me that she was still here, still fighting. My sister, one of the strongest people I knew, had been through so much. But this… this was different. It felt as though she was slipping further away with each passing hour.“Emily, please,” I whispered, squeezing her cold hand. “You have to come back to us.”I hadn’t left her side since she’d been admitted. It was sad that Eric had to rush off without seeing his wife hit it was for a good cause.Lola and Rico had to be stopped no matter what. I was glad that Tont and Eric were finally closing in on them. I just hoped to hear the good news that they had apprehended those sneaky snakes.Mia was asleep after I had lulled her with a lullaby. The last thing I needed was for her to see her mother in this state.Suddenly, the sound of her crying baby reached my ears, and I felt
Eric's POV I rushed back to the hospital with Mia, who I realised wasn't so ill. She was just a bit feverish, so I decided to take her with me to the hsopairl where her mother was admitted. As we pulled over at the hospital, I turned to her. "Princess, how do you feel now?" I asked, touching her forehead to check her temperature, but her body was quite warm. "I want to see mummy," she whined, her eyes wide and teary. "I miss mummy." I let out a sigh. "Yes. You will see her. We are at the hospital where she is." Her eyes lit up like she had just been given an ice cream. "Really?" She gasped. "Mummy is here?" I nodded, and she let out a loud squeal. I stared at her in surprise. Wasn't this the girl who wasn't feeling well a while ago? I shook my head with a small smile. Inguess she was just missing her mother. "Let's go see your mum," I said to her, picking her up and locking the car. I could only hope to God that my wife and baby were okay. Joanne had not called me to tell me
Joanne's POV As I watched Emily's back disappear into her room, I could only feel sorry for her. I obviously had an idea of her pain.Forgiveness was not so easy. It truly was divine.The giggles of Alicia and Tony drew me out of my thoughts, and I stuck my tongue out at them, clearing my throat."What is the matter, Joanne?" Tony asked with a daring smirk, but I shook my head."Nothing at all. I'm just enjoying thoughts of attending weddings.." I started, trailing off to enjoy his smirk falling. "And maybe even better, a chief bridesmaid."My mother burst into provocative laughter.He flung a throw pillow in my direction, and it hit me square in the face. "Ow.. My nose. You're a bully, Tony," I whined."I can agree with that," I heard the familiar voice of Eric Wilson and smirked in triumph, bumping my fist with his."Hey, there, brother-in-law," I greeted, seeing as Eric strolled into the living room a few minutes after Alicia. "It's been quite a while. A very long one."He smirked
Emily's POV I sat in front of the television, munching on a large bowl of chips, which I had been so desperately craving for weeks now.My protruding stomach made it hard for me to hold the book of chips as closely as I wanted to.The news that the television was showing made my heart leap for joy."Billionare businessman, Eric Wilson exposes his fiancée in a grand party intended to be their baby's welcoming ceremony. The billionaire exposed that the baby of his fiancée was not his child with proof. Despite the glaring proof, Lola tried to deny it by saying that he was not in his right frame of mind. For a moment, it was almost believed until the police stormed the scene, charging her for various crimes, including attempted extortion and kidnapping. The culprit, Lola, however, fled the scene and has been missing for over a month since the incident...."I had heard everything from Joanne and Tony—even though he was barely at home these days because he was hellbent on getting Lola and
Eric's POV As I walked off the stage confidently, my shoulders felt lighter, and I was glad to have put an end to the shenenigans of Lola. She was now in the spotlight she so admired and wanted but not for the reason she wanted.I watched her face drain of its colour as she stared into the booing and disgusted faces of the guests she had invited, now an object of mockery at her own party."No. He doesn't know what he's saying," she screamed into the microphone, forcefully drawing the attention of all the guests who were already making their way out of the hall. Her makeup was already running down her forehead and face slightly due to her sweats and tears.I folded my arms across my chest, my brows slightly cocked as I stared at her from across the hall. I stood waiting for a signal to get rid of Lola once and for all."What do you mean, Ms Lola?" A nosy press lady holding up a camera asked loudly. "Are you saying that what we just heard was wrong? Are you saying Mr Eric Wilson is no