Settling into Cody's apartment with practically twelve people was impossible, so Jack had offered to give the guys free rooms in one of his magnificent hotels. They gratefully thanked him before hopping into the limousine he had summoned, saving them from unnecessary taxi expenses.Thankfully, I had managed to escape from work; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to help anyone clearly. I wasn't yet in my right mind, and panic still ran through my veins at the thought of my mother not waking up."Thanks, I really owe you one," I said as we stopped in front of my building, where Jack had left his luxurious car parked."You know nothing is free in this life, so you'll have to pay me back in kind," he commented coolly as he took the driver's seat, eliciting a laugh with his words. "Not today, but someday, Lucy.""Your good intentions come with a hidden agenda," I scoffed, crossing my arms, pretending to be very angry about it."If it weren't that way, I wouldn't be the president of an
Swift as lightning, the answer came to me without thinking too much, but I desperately wished it wasn't true, that I was wrong because I knew how devastated Jack would be if I told him, or even Victoria, both would suffer too much."We need to do a complete blood count and platelet count for her, Nurse Kim," I muttered hastily for her to take care of it."Why do we have to do that?" Deborah wanted to know, raising one of her eyebrows, stopping the nurse's actions with her furious gaze, along with my breath.I wished to tell her just for revenge, to spit so many things in her face, refute everything I had kept inside for years, but I simply couldn't. Everything got stuck in my throat when I just thought about it."I want to confirm one thing, Mrs. Walters," I whispered calmly, earning her look filled with repulsion for having to follow my orders, for having to depend on me to save her granddaughter, something that was truly ironic when I thought about it carefully because the person sh
I walked alongside Lucila, our lips barely parting, heading towards the park away from the hospital.Honestly, I appreciated the silence surrounding us; it helped me think clearly about what had happened, and she seemed unaffected by my quietness.Despite her young age, she seemed to understand that I didn't want to engage in an uncomfortable conversation.After walking for what felt like an eternity, we stopped by the lake in the dense forest. Only a few patients passed by occasionally, offering brief greetings before disappearing down the paved path.Enchanted by the fluttering butterflies, Lucila ran around with a bright smile, trying to catch moths with her tiny hands. As she was distracted, I hid my face in my hands, shielding her blue eyes from my tears.The piercing pain coursed through my body every time I recalled Deborah's degrading treatment. Once again, she had used me at her whim, humiliating me at her convenience, making me look like a complete fool.When Lucila gently s
He didn't deepen the kiss, knowing we could be caught; he simply brushed my lips lightly before pulling away just as quickly, not giving me enough time to reflect on what had just happened.Startled, I glanced towards the distracted girl, who hadn't even noticed what had occurred. I jumped to my feet before Jack could attempt another reckless move, trying to calm my racing heart, but it was impossible."I-I should go," I said before walking away from him, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrist."I love you, Lucy," he reminded me, with a charming smile that took my breath away and only caused more confusion in my already jumbled mind. "No matter what you do, that won't change; you should already know that. I want to stay by your side because that's how I feel when I see you, because being with you is what makes me happy, not because it's right or wrong, it's because I desire to be with you so much that I can't control it, and nothing really scares me enough to stop."I couldn't comprehen
I took a deep breath, feeling my heart squeeze in my chest; I was a coward. My mother had achieved what I couldn't have done no matter how hard I tried.“Lucy thought you had died saving her in the accident, and that fact haunted her. I even know she wouldn't tell me just to avoid alarming me, but Cody has told me; she was the one who planned that accident from the beginning”"W-why would my mother do something like that?" he asked with a choked voice. I could almost feel that he was restraining the urge to cry or scream out of anger, not sure exactly which, maybe both."She wanted to make Lucy suffer, teach her a lesson to separate her from you. But you ended up getting in the way, and I'm eternally grateful to you for saving her, for allowing me to live much longer with her company. I adore her as if my own blood ran through her veins, and you don't know how devastated I would have been without her. That's what I wanted to tell you the day I met you in heaven, but I'm glad it happe
I opened my lips to respond, to refute him, without having the slightest idea of what to say exactly after such words that had pierced my heart. However, his cell phone started ringing loudly in the pocket of his jacket, forcing me to stay silent.He reluctantly took it out, as he had to move his hands away from my body. At that moment, I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. Quickly, without him noticing, I wiped them away with my trembling hands. Then, I turned my face in another direction while he answered the call."Hello, Vico..." he greeted, a bit uncomfortable with the fact that she was the one who had interrupted us. He patiently listened to what his wife was saying and ended the call abruptly with, "Alright, I'll be there.""Is she here?" I muttered when he put his phone away."Yes. Why?""I need to talk to both of you," I muttered, crossing my arms before starting to walk towards Lucila's room, with him sticking to me, one of his eyebrows raised, almost trying to guess what w
My mother encouraged me during that eternal week when I felt completely alone and abandoned by the person who had told me to move forward. Still, I understood to a large extent that Jack was taking his time to come to terms with what was happening with his daughter, and I wasn't one to invade that space he was taking.However, when the horrendous seven days had passed, I slumped into the cafeteria chair, letting out a long sigh that made Nia, Ryan, and Cody raise their eyes from the appetizing food on their trays, puzzled by my behavior."What's going on?" Nia asked, raising one of her eyebrows, confused by my exhausted expression."Nothing," I sighed, depressed, before taking a spoonful of that sticky rice into my mouth. Its taste was definitely disgusting, but it was better than starving."Is it because of Jack, right?" Cody questioned with a mocking smile before putting a piece of meat in his mouth."Shut up, Cody. You don't know anything," I grumbled, furrowing my brow, causing Ni
I managed to enter the beautiful house, walking along a narrow path toward the slightly ajar front door.I silently surveyed the surroundings, finding a playground a few meters away, lush trees, and a meadow with beautiful flowers. It looked quite simple on the outside but large enough to accommodate more than three people.The interior, however, was a complete mess. There were broken things on the floor, books strewn everywhere, and attempting to pick them up was a waste of time as there were too many. The place was upside down, with bottles of all kinds of alcohol everywhere. The paintings in the spacious living room were torn, and the only thing that remained intact was the sofa, where Jack had settled to take a long swig of whiskey straight from the bottle, analyzing me with a smirk as if my horrified expression amused him.He was with his shirt unbuttoned, exposing his bare torso. His hair was a mess, and he had a scruffy beard that didn't look too bad on him. With just a glance
We were a vast family, and no matter where in the universe we found ourselves, we would always return to our cozy home.However, we never imagined that one day Aisha would show up and that it would unleash a little hell as far as Lucila is concerned, Jack, and why not… myself."Mom?" Jack's incredulous tone and his words made me jump. I was feeding little Sara, my 5-month-old baby, when someone knocked on the door, thus revealing the face of my husband's mother.I preferred to go elsewhere and let them talk, while I had to swallow the displeasure of having that harpy back in our midst."Hello, Lucy," I was petrified halfway to my room, and my head almost spun like the girl from The Exorcist, astonished and speechless at the sudden greeting and the changed face of the perpetrator. "That must be your baby…"Her tone faded away, and I was still standing in the middle of the living room, with Jack looking at us like a circus spectacle and the little one starting to cry restlessly in my ar
Being by Jack's side, everything unfolded so quickly that those eight years living as a married couple passed fleetingly before my eyes, leaving me astounded at how swiftly time sometimes flew around us without us even realizing it.Together, we experienced many things, both good and bad. We learned to deal with adversities and be happy even when the world outside was falling apart.We rarely argued, perhaps because we worked long hours each day. However, among those hours, we always found at least a little time to see each other, to share romantic gestures, to share with each other, or simply to love each other.We had bought a beautiful house on the outskirts of Atlanta, where we had everything we needed. There, there was no worry other than enjoying our daily lives intensely, seizing each moment by doing whatever we fancied without any fear.We had all changed quite a bit; we were no longer as young. Each of us had taken our respective paths and had encountered different situations
"Was it necessary to go naked?" I asked, crossing my arms."Yes, I didn't want to ruin my clothes, and besides, if I want to make love to you, I have to be naked, right?" he replied."I'm not going to play along. No way!""Come on, you'll like it," he pleaded, winking at me mischievously. I scrutinized him with skeptical eyes, not entirely convinced by his words. I didn't want to end up freezing or spending the rest of our honeymoon with a cold."Trust me..." he urged.I took a deep breath, part of me fearing that someone would see us. However, it was too late for the hotel guests to still be awake, and everything was shrouded in darkness, with only the moon barely illuminating the place.Uneasy like never before, I began to take off my dress, feeling Jack's appreciative gaze on my skin. I descended step by step until my feet touched the warm water, letting out a relieved sigh. I immediately immersed myself completely, approaching Jack under the same conditions."I don't understand wh
He stood before the expectant crowd, giving me a smile that I instantly returned.He held a champagne glass in his hands, and suppressing the urge to burst into tears, he took a long sip of the liquid, controlling his emotions with it."Sometimes when I see them, I think destiny exists, because believe me when I say that it never crossed my mind that because of a simple robbery, you two would one day marry and start a home," muttered the dark-haired man without taking his eyes off us, bringing to our minds that moment years ago when by chance, we ended up living together in my old apartment. "And I truly feel proud to have done it because otherwise, neither I nor any of you could be here standing, witnessing a deep marital union. I think I would never have been able to do so many good things in my life, and probably our paths would be very different now if it weren't for that. However, I am grateful in the past for being a complete fool to steal from you, Jack, because that small acti
Several months after planning everything meticulously, from choosing the location to what we would wear and even what we would eat, we traveled by private jet to Bora Bora, a small island in French Polynesia that was truly magnificent.Jack had the idea that he would be the one to perform our wedding ceremony, and I, a little excited, agreed, as the photos I had seen online of every corner were splendid.The sea was so clear that I could see the fish swimming in it, the warm breeze on my face quickened my heart, and the white sand beneath my feet were simply the best sensations in the universe.I had to admit that getting there had not been easy at all, as we had had a lot of setbacks in organizing our wedding. The invitations didn't turn out as I had hoped, and even delivering them was quite a ordeal. Jack's suit was almost not ready for the date we had indicated, let alone my dress, booking the hotel and restaurant for so many people was almost impossible.We had definitely gone thr
Jack’s POVThere is a memory that Lucy does not have in her memories, and it's not like I've ever mentioned it to her, because I know she won't be able to remember it no matter how much I explain and describe it to her.I know she has erased all that pain from her childhood, and that memory that I have always possessed is no longer in her brain, although I wish she could remember it.She thinks the first time we met was in Ellijay, at a horrible dive bar, however, I know that's not entirely true, because the first time we met she was just a 5-year-old girl, lost in the midst of that crazy fair in Atlanta.She was celebrating the last day of that year like everyone else there, but she wasn't happy; she was crying inconsolably in a corner, searching with her eyes for something that didn't seem to arrive no matter how much she waited."Are you okay?" I asked her, crouching down in front of her to be at her eye level. She had very light blond hair, almost ashen.The little girl remained s
I adjusted the ribbon on my dress for the tenth time that cold November morning, and once satisfied that it was in place, I paced back and forth, anxious that the fool wouldn't be smart enough to realize that I would be there.Anyway, Hall and Black would give him more clues in case he didn't figure it out at first, but with each tick of the clock, my heart sank with terror.Nervously, I bit my lower lip and let my gaze wander around the room, trying to distract myself from the tension coursing through my veins.My mother was in the kitchen preparing the final dishes, Lucila was playing on the floor with Brooke and Blake, who happily lent her their toys.Ryan and Nia were setting the table amidst jokes, Carl and Paul were double-checking the song they would play with their guitars, Katia and Lauren were inflating balloons with laughter, while the twins outside kept watch for Jack, who was taking too long to arrive.Cody was sitting on the couch after placing the sign in its rightful p
"Black has told me about the results, congratulations, Miss Wolfang," he murmured sensually in my ear, sending shivers down my spine where his sweet breath brushed against me."Thank you, Mr. Thierry," I mumbled, letting out a wide smile. "If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would be now."The taller man stared at me absorbed in his thoughts, perhaps internally debating whether to ask me something that I was unaware of. I observed him in total silence, waiting for him to finally open his mouth.I stayed comfortable in his arms, entranced by the sensation that ran down my back every time he mesmerized me with those eyes, captivated by every gesture that emanated from his face, which accelerated my heart greatly."Lucy...""Yes?""Do you really not intend to tell me?" he inquired, with that puppy-eyed look and pouting that drove me crazy, and then, I understood everything.As always, that stupid boy had it all well planned out; he was looking for a way to coax out the information
“How long will it take Nia?”“I don't know, damn it!” spat the tallest one, enraged by what was happening. “If we don't calm her down, she could have a fit.”“Let me go, you damn bastards!,” I pleaded hysterically, from there I could hear that familiar beep that I had heard so many times in other people, but now it belonged to the machine of the person I loved.“Lucy, I'm really sorry, but we promised it to Jack,” Cody whispered in my ear, leaving me petrified with his words.“What do you mean you promised it to him?,” I murmured, feeling all the color drain from my face.That's why everyone was so prepared, except me.The only idiot who had the slightest hope that that stupid man would live to be by my side forever was me. He lied to me again, Jack knew there was no chance, and I knew it beforehand, but I wanted to believe that maybe there was a small exception.I had deluded myself into thinking something that sadly would never come true.“Jack's brother asked each of us that if som