One evening, the soft hum of the city outside barely noticeable as Tasha stood by the window, looking out into the night. The past few weeks had felt like an emotional rollercoaster. The amnesia, the painful fractures in her relationships, the uncertainty that had filled her life. But standing here now, the air around her felt different less heavy, more certain.
Her eyes drifted to Robbin, sitting at the small kitchen table. Ethan was in bed, and they were finally alone. The house, once too silent, now held a different kind of peace, a peace that Tasha hadn’t realized she longed for until this moment. Robbin had been there for her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. When she needed space, he gave it to her; when she needed support, he was always there, not demanding answers or explanations but offering comfort in silence. Robbin cleared his throat, breaking the stillness. “Tasha,” he began, his voice low, “I know this has been diffDaniel had always been a man of control. From the moment he’d made the decision to step back from Tasha’s life after the accident, the fallout, the memories lost, he had tried to maintain his distance. He told himself it was for the best, for her sake, for Ethan’s. But nothing could have prepared him for the slow, torturous pain of watching from the sidelines as Tasha moved forward without him. And yet, there he was, still in Ethan’s life, still seeing his son, even if he no longer had a place beside Tasha. The gala had been on his mind for days. The invitation had come through Belvoir Couture, of course the company he was still very much involved with, even though his heart was no longer in the glamorous world of high fashion. It wasn’t his place, not anymore. Still, there were business matters to attend to. And so, there he was, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tuxedo. The reflection staring back at him was someone he barely recognized eyes tired, jaw clenched, the
Daniel’s apartment was eerily quiet when he returned. The faint hum of the city outside, the low murmur of distant traffic, seemed to only emphasize the emptiness inside. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, instead letting the dim glow of the streetlights filter through the windows as he made his way to the kitchen. It was the same routine now coming back to this cold, lifeless space after a day full of fake smiles, forced interactions, and the constant undercurrent of pain that he couldn’t shake. He opened the cabinet, his hands moving almost automatically, grabbing a bottle of whiskey. It was the same bottle he’d been nursing for the last few weeks, ever since everything had spiraled out of control. He didn’t know why he kept drinking, it didn’t numb the pain; it didn’t make things better, but it was the only thing that seemed to dull the sharp edges of his thoughts, even if just for a little while. The glass was filled quickly, the amber liquid s
The next morning arrived in a blur for Daniel. He barely remembered falling asleep, but when his eyes opened, the harsh light of day pierced through his apartment. The room was a mess, a reflection of his state of mind. Empty bottles, a broken glass on the floor, and remnants of the night before scattered around him like the fallout of a battle he didn’t want to fight. He dragged himself out of bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion, both physical and emotional, pressing down on him. But sleep hadn’t given him respite. It had only brought him restless dreams of Tasha, her smile, her voice, her warmth only for them to dissolve into nothingness every time he reached out. He stumbled to the kitchen, the air thick with the smell of stale alcohol. He had no appetite, but he poured himself a cup of black coffee anyway, needing the bitter warmth to shake off the fog in his mind. As the liquid slid down his throat, he leaned against the counter, staring at nothing, his thought
Tasha sat in the living room, her heart pounding in her chest. It had been a long time coming this conversation, this moment. She had been avoiding it, hoping it would somehow sort itself out, but she knew deep down that it couldn’t be avoided forever. Robbin and she had been together for a while now, and their relationship was moving forward. It was time to let Ethan know. She glanced toward the kitchen where Robbin was cleaning up, his movements calm and steady, like he was already mentally preparing himself for what was coming. He had been so patient, so understanding with her and Ethan. But even he couldn’t help her avoid the inevitable. Ethan had to know. Tasha’s heart ached at the thought of her son’s reaction. She had already seen the worry and confusion in his eyes in recent weeks. He had been asking questions, small ones at first. The thought of seeing the sadness and confusion in Ethan’s face broke her every time. But she knew t
Tasha sat on the edge of the couch, her eyes unfocused, staring at the walls of their living room as if willing time to move faster, to hurry through this painful stretch of silence. The whole day had passed in a blur, Robbin had given her the space she needed, but it didn’t change the fact that her heart was heavy, weighed down by the quiet storm brewing in her home. Ethan hadn’t come out of his room since their conversation. She couldn’t blame him, but it didn’t make the ache any easier to bear. The clock on the wall ticked away relentlessly, the sound sharp in the quiet house, reminding her of just how much time had passed since Ethan had stormed off. She couldn’t imagine what he was feeling right now, he had always been so full of life, so full of questions, yet now he was silent. The silence was suffocating. Tasha’s gaze moved from the clock to the door leading to the hallway, her thoughts clouded with worry. She knew it wasn’t easy for Ethan. She knew he was hurting. But wha
Tasha's POV I sat in the quiet, sterile room of the hospital, the faint smell of antiseptic filling the air as I clutched the envelope in my hands. My heart pounded against my chest as I stared at the results. The test I had taken only a few days ago had confirmed it, but seeing the official confirmation from the hospital made it all real. I was pregnant. One month pregnant. A mixture of emotions swirled inside me, excitement, fear, and relief. I ran my hand over my flat stomach, imagining the life growing inside me. I was carrying Daniel’s baby. The thought made my heart swell with joy. This was the news that could change everything. After all the distance between us, after all the arguments and tension, maybe this would be what finally brought us back together. I imagined his reaction, the way his eyes might light up when I told him he was going to be a father. Daniel, the strong, confident billionaire, heir to the Sterling family empire, with all his power and wealth, would
I felt a sharp pain of dread settle in my stomach as I grabbed my coat and keys. I had hoped tonight would be different, that I’d finally be able to tell him about the baby. But instead, I was heading to the hospital again for her. The woman who had turned my life upside down since the moment she came back from London. The woman who had taken Daniel's attention, affection, and now, once again, his loyalty. As I arrived at the hospital, the fluorescent lights flickered above me, a sterile reminder of the countless times I had been here before. The moment I walked into the waiting room, I saw Daniel pacing back and forth. His face lit up when he saw me, but it wasn’t the kind of relief that came from seeing his wife. No, it was the relief that came from knowing I would help Vanessa again. “You need to donate your blood now,” Daniel said quickly, pulling me toward the nurses’ station. “Daniel, wait,” I said, trying to slow him down, but he barely glanced at me. “She needs you,
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I stood my ground, refusing to let him see just how much it hurt. I didn’t say a word. I simply turned on my heel and walked out of the hospital, the weight of my decision pressing down on me, but for the first time in a long while... I felt free. I walked towards the parking lot, the world around me spinning slightly. My hand instinctively went to my stomach as a wave of dizziness hit me, my heart racing from the confrontation. I pulled out my phone, my fingers shaking as I scrolled through my contacts. Stanley, Daniel’s friend and best man. He’d always been kind to me, a rare source of comfort when Daniel was distant. He never judged, just listened. Right now, I needed that more than ever. The phone rang twice before he picked up. “Tasha? Everything okay?” “Hi, Stanley,” I said, my voice weak. “Are you free? Sorry to bother you, but I’m at Central Hospital. I’m not feeling too well, and I don’t think I can go back home myself.” T
Tasha sat on the edge of the couch, her eyes unfocused, staring at the walls of their living room as if willing time to move faster, to hurry through this painful stretch of silence. The whole day had passed in a blur, Robbin had given her the space she needed, but it didn’t change the fact that her heart was heavy, weighed down by the quiet storm brewing in her home. Ethan hadn’t come out of his room since their conversation. She couldn’t blame him, but it didn’t make the ache any easier to bear. The clock on the wall ticked away relentlessly, the sound sharp in the quiet house, reminding her of just how much time had passed since Ethan had stormed off. She couldn’t imagine what he was feeling right now, he had always been so full of life, so full of questions, yet now he was silent. The silence was suffocating. Tasha’s gaze moved from the clock to the door leading to the hallway, her thoughts clouded with worry. She knew it wasn’t easy for Ethan. She knew he was hurting. But wha
Tasha sat in the living room, her heart pounding in her chest. It had been a long time coming this conversation, this moment. She had been avoiding it, hoping it would somehow sort itself out, but she knew deep down that it couldn’t be avoided forever. Robbin and she had been together for a while now, and their relationship was moving forward. It was time to let Ethan know. She glanced toward the kitchen where Robbin was cleaning up, his movements calm and steady, like he was already mentally preparing himself for what was coming. He had been so patient, so understanding with her and Ethan. But even he couldn’t help her avoid the inevitable. Ethan had to know. Tasha’s heart ached at the thought of her son’s reaction. She had already seen the worry and confusion in his eyes in recent weeks. He had been asking questions, small ones at first. The thought of seeing the sadness and confusion in Ethan’s face broke her every time. But she knew t
The next morning arrived in a blur for Daniel. He barely remembered falling asleep, but when his eyes opened, the harsh light of day pierced through his apartment. The room was a mess, a reflection of his state of mind. Empty bottles, a broken glass on the floor, and remnants of the night before scattered around him like the fallout of a battle he didn’t want to fight. He dragged himself out of bed, feeling the weight of exhaustion, both physical and emotional, pressing down on him. But sleep hadn’t given him respite. It had only brought him restless dreams of Tasha, her smile, her voice, her warmth only for them to dissolve into nothingness every time he reached out. He stumbled to the kitchen, the air thick with the smell of stale alcohol. He had no appetite, but he poured himself a cup of black coffee anyway, needing the bitter warmth to shake off the fog in his mind. As the liquid slid down his throat, he leaned against the counter, staring at nothing, his thought
Daniel’s apartment was eerily quiet when he returned. The faint hum of the city outside, the low murmur of distant traffic, seemed to only emphasize the emptiness inside. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, instead letting the dim glow of the streetlights filter through the windows as he made his way to the kitchen. It was the same routine now coming back to this cold, lifeless space after a day full of fake smiles, forced interactions, and the constant undercurrent of pain that he couldn’t shake. He opened the cabinet, his hands moving almost automatically, grabbing a bottle of whiskey. It was the same bottle he’d been nursing for the last few weeks, ever since everything had spiraled out of control. He didn’t know why he kept drinking, it didn’t numb the pain; it didn’t make things better, but it was the only thing that seemed to dull the sharp edges of his thoughts, even if just for a little while. The glass was filled quickly, the amber liquid s
Daniel had always been a man of control. From the moment he’d made the decision to step back from Tasha’s life after the accident, the fallout, the memories lost, he had tried to maintain his distance. He told himself it was for the best, for her sake, for Ethan’s. But nothing could have prepared him for the slow, torturous pain of watching from the sidelines as Tasha moved forward without him. And yet, there he was, still in Ethan’s life, still seeing his son, even if he no longer had a place beside Tasha. The gala had been on his mind for days. The invitation had come through Belvoir Couture, of course the company he was still very much involved with, even though his heart was no longer in the glamorous world of high fashion. It wasn’t his place, not anymore. Still, there were business matters to attend to. And so, there he was, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his tuxedo. The reflection staring back at him was someone he barely recognized eyes tired, jaw clenched, the
One evening, the soft hum of the city outside barely noticeable as Tasha stood by the window, looking out into the night. The past few weeks had felt like an emotional rollercoaster. The amnesia, the painful fractures in her relationships, the uncertainty that had filled her life. But standing here now, the air around her felt different less heavy, more certain. Her eyes drifted to Robbin, sitting at the small kitchen table. Ethan was in bed, and they were finally alone. The house, once too silent, now held a different kind of peace, a peace that Tasha hadn’t realized she longed for until this moment. Robbin had been there for her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. When she needed space, he gave it to her; when she needed support, he was always there, not demanding answers or explanations but offering comfort in silence. Robbin cleared his throat, breaking the stillness. “Tasha,” he began, his voice low, “I know this has been diff
Daniel sat in his car outside the house, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. He had promised he wouldn’t overstep. He had promised he would only come for Ethan. But damn it, walking away from Tasha like that, hearing her say she didn’t want him around, hurt more than he thought it would. He raked a hand through his hair, frustration and helplessness twisting inside him. How will she remember. She didn’t remember what they had built, what they had gone through, what they had recently meant to each other. And now, she didn’t even want to try. His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen, Stanley. With a heavy sigh, Daniel picked up. “How did it go?” St
Tasha glanced at the clock again, tapping her fingers against her arm. They should be back by now. She paced slightly, trying to shake off the strange unease creeping in. Maybe traffic was bad. Maybe Ethan had asked Daniel to stop somewhere. She walked to the window, peering outside. Still nothing. With a sigh, she turned away, only for the sound of a car pulling into the driveway to grab her attention. She moved back toward the door just as it opened, and the first thing she heard was Ethan’s excited voice. “Mom! We got ice cream!” Tasha barely had time to react before Ethan ran up to her, his face bright with excitement. “It was soooo good! Dad let me pick any flavor I wanted, and I got chocolate and cookies and cream! And I added M&Ms, and whipped cream, and even caramel drizzle!” He bounced on his feet as she smoothed his curls, trying not to let her gaze drift to Daniel, who
Tasha stared at the message for what felt like an eternity, her fingers hovering over the screen. Her heart raced, unsure of the words she had just typed. 'Let’s talk tomorrow' It was a simple message, but it carried so much weight, so many layers of emotions she couldn’t yet understand. She bit her lip, debating whether she should send it. What if it triggered something else or something she wasn’t ready to face? But then again, the words were already there. She couldn’t take them back, could she? A deep breath escaped her as she pressed her thumb on the screen and clicked send. The phone buzzed softly in her hand, the message now sent into the ether. She waited. For what? She wasn’t sure. A response, perhaps? Some kind of acknowledgment that she hadn’t completely lost herself or the person she used to be? Minutes passed. Nothing. Tasha let out a shaky breath and put the phone d