Emma’s POVThe days after the gala had been a haze of emotions, a relentless tug-of-war between my past and my present.No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, Sam’s words clung to me like an old melody I couldn’t forget but I once had a life with Jeff, although it crumbled, we still had it.But Sam was right about one thing in the midst of my current confusion and that was that, he was the father of my children. No matter how much time had passed, that fact wouldn’t change.And that truth gnawed at me.I lay awake for nights, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what it would mean for Jason and Anna to meet him. Would they like him? Would they feel an instant connection, or would they shy away from him like he was a stranger? Because that’s exactly what he was to them, a stranger.Still, something in my heart whispered that I owed them this.So, before I could talk myself out of it, I picked up my phone and sent the text.Emma: I’ve been thinking, you should meet them.The respons
Jeff’s POVI sat in my study long after Emma had gone to bed, staring at the dim glow of my desk lamp, my thoughts a tangled mess.Tonight had been a wake-up call.I had spent the past months trying to repair the damage I had done to my marriage, trying to prove to Emma that I had changed, that I was ready to be the husband and father I should have been from the start, but no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I was losing her.And now, Sam was back.I clenched my fists, the name alone igniting a slow burn of anger deep in my gut.I had spent years avoiding the reality of my mistakes, but I couldn’t avoid them anymore, Sam had been there when I had pushed Emma away.He had been there when she had needed someone. He had been there when I had been too caught up in my pride and resentment to be the man she deserved.And now, because of my failures, I was at risk of losing everything.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my desk, exhaling slowly. If I wanted to fix this, if I wanted t
"Congratulations, ma'am." I forced a smile as another camera flash went off in my eyes. My cheeks ached from holding the expression, but I stayed silent, knowing better than to let my true feelings show."Happy one-year anniversary again, babe." My husband, Jeff, murmured beside me. His arm was wrapped around my waist in a gesture that might have looked affectionate to onlookers but felt more like a shackle to me."Thank you, love," I responded with another hollow smile, leaning into a brief and forced kiss.Everyone thought my life was perfect. I was married to the most powerful man in New York, many women envied my so-called fairytale existence. But if only they knew the truth. If only they knew how every day felt like walking on broken glass, waiting for the next cut.“Let’s go and sit down. I know your feet must be hurting from standing so long.” Jeff's voice was smooth, almost gentle, but I knew better than to trust the softness. I nodded in response, and we descended from the po
Four Years Later Emma's POV "I'm late."I exclaimed loudly when I looked at the time. I hurriedly got up from bed, fumbling around the room, trying to wear my skirt and blouse at the same time.I knew what I was trying to do was impossible and the only way I could get something done was to wear each of them one at a time but because time wasn't on my side again, I had to hurry.Contrary to what I thought, I successfully managed to wear both the skirt and the blouse and once that was done with, I was out the door almost immediately, making sure to lock the door before finally leaving.I had decided to take a nap after taking Jason and Anna to preschool, it was their first day and they were very excited. I made sure I woke up as early as possible so I could get everything ready and thankfully, we were quite on time.I decided to take a short nap after dropping them off as I still had some time to spare, my short nap turned into a full deep sleep which made me wake up twenty minutes la
Emma's POV"Emma?”He called my name and although the way my name rolled off his tongue shouldn't affect me, I couldn't deny that it did, it affected me more than it should have.I closed my eyes and composed myself before opening them again to look at my children, "Jason, Anna, come here my darlings. I told you wandering off is not good, you make mummy worry when you do that." I cautioned them.They ran into my outstretched arms immediately, "We're sorry mummy, we didn't run away, we only missed you and that was why we came to look for you.""I'm not mad. Let's go." I answered, tugging their hands and pulling them with me."Emma wait!" I heard his voice again and my heart clenched in my chest once more.I never thought I'd be seeing him again so soon, it was all too much for me, all I just wanted was to crawl into a hole and disappear."Mummy, is this daddy?" Anna's little voice asked me and it took all of my willpower not to break down and cry but I stayed strong."No baby, this isn
EMMA’S POV“How is that possible? Jeff, I don’t want to have anything to do with you not to talk staying in same apartment as you,” I retorted, blaring fury obvious in my face.“Emma, you don’t have a say here, I own you and everything that is in you,” Jeff replied with a proud expression, his two hands elegantly pocketed in his trouser.“ Are you kidding me? Seems like you forgot something. We are fucking divorced and you have no control over me and let me tell you something, I have no intention of being together with you, not now or later,” I retorted sharply.This statement from me angered him and pissed him off, “ can you listen to yourself speak? It's an order from me, if you think it's too much for you to agree to, get yourself out of my property,” His response was like a knife driven to my heart so I didn't bother to reply him, I swallowed hard to hold back the tears that threatened to drop from my eye. This is the man that I have loved and respected a lot.I wiped my eyes an
Emma’s Pov"Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest, each beat like a drum echoing her terror. Her mind raced in disarray, struggling to find a way out as panic set in.”What is going on here? “ Liam burst into laughter.” Who do you think you are? You should appreciate a man of caliber trying to roll with low-life like you.Emma’s face brightened up and pretended to be fine, is this what have been brought here to tackle? My heart still pounding slowly in my chest, but was something in me force a smile out of my face.I don’t mean to be rude but i just do not appreciate strangers touching me inappropriately. Hello, Emma, meet Mr Liam the CEO Liams Consult, you will be working directly with him here, said Mrs Williams as she rushed into my office. I don't think i can work or award this company any contract, said Liam and banged his feet angrily on the tiles. "She let out a long sigh, the excitement draining from her face, replaced by a look of deep disappointment.""Please, I’m be
Emma’s Pov“ I am suppose to meet a potential new client who had expressed interest in partnering with our company. I am used to these meetings, but what is Sam doing here?” However, i was not prepared for the shock that awaited me when the door opened, and my secretary ushered in a figure from the past that have searched everywhere for to no avail.“My breath caught in my throat as Sam stare round the office.” He is looking really different now, his hair streaked with hints of gold but the only difference is the status. The Sam i know was not rich, he was just a common driver.Years ago, Sam had been my secret lover. He was the P.A and also Jeff’s driver, he was there for me anytime Jeff is maltreating and bullying me. We had been seeing each other secretly and promised each other the world.We planned to elope with Sam, but Jeff has eye everywhere and he knew about all our plan. Sam was picked and since then we lost contact and eventually Jeff served me a divorce papers.
Jeff’s POVI sat in my study long after Emma had gone to bed, staring at the dim glow of my desk lamp, my thoughts a tangled mess.Tonight had been a wake-up call.I had spent the past months trying to repair the damage I had done to my marriage, trying to prove to Emma that I had changed, that I was ready to be the husband and father I should have been from the start, but no matter how hard I tried, I felt like I was losing her.And now, Sam was back.I clenched my fists, the name alone igniting a slow burn of anger deep in my gut.I had spent years avoiding the reality of my mistakes, but I couldn’t avoid them anymore, Sam had been there when I had pushed Emma away.He had been there when she had needed someone. He had been there when I had been too caught up in my pride and resentment to be the man she deserved.And now, because of my failures, I was at risk of losing everything.I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my desk, exhaling slowly. If I wanted to fix this, if I wanted t
Emma’s POVThe days after the gala had been a haze of emotions, a relentless tug-of-war between my past and my present.No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, Sam’s words clung to me like an old melody I couldn’t forget but I once had a life with Jeff, although it crumbled, we still had it.But Sam was right about one thing in the midst of my current confusion and that was that, he was the father of my children. No matter how much time had passed, that fact wouldn’t change.And that truth gnawed at me.I lay awake for nights, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what it would mean for Jason and Anna to meet him. Would they like him? Would they feel an instant connection, or would they shy away from him like he was a stranger? Because that’s exactly what he was to them, a stranger.Still, something in my heart whispered that I owed them this.So, before I could talk myself out of it, I picked up my phone and sent the text.Emma: I’ve been thinking, you should meet them.The respons
Chapter 40Emma’s POVThe moment I stepped out of the private lounge, my head felt like it was spinning, the weight of Sam’s words pressed against my chest, making it hard to breathe.He wanted another chance.A chance to be the father he had never been, the partner he should have been. His voice had trembled with regret, his eyes had pleaded for understanding, for forgiveness.And for the first time since he’d returned, I saw something in him that had been missing before, desperation.I swallowed hard, stepping back into the main ballroom. The dazzling chandeliers, the laughter, the clinking of champagne glasses, it all felt distant, muffled, as if I was watching everything through a thick fog.My eyes darted across the room, scanning the sea of unfamiliar faces, until they landed on one that was far too familiar.Jeff.He stood near the bar, his broad shoulders tense, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his suit trousers and his gaze was fixed on me, dark and unreadable.I knew he
Emma’s POVThe next day, walking back into the office felt like stepping into the lion’s den, my heels clicked against the polished floor as I tried to maintain some semblance of composure.The events of the previous day still swirled in my head, Jeff’s fury, Sam’s emotional pleas, and the suffocating tension that had turned my life upside down.But this was work, I needed to keep it together.As soon as I entered the open office space however, it became painfully clear that keeping it together was going to be nearly impossible. Whispers rippled through the room, and I could feel the weight of every single pair of eyes on me.I clutched my bag tightly, pretending not to notice the blatant stares and the hushed conversations.“Good morning Emma.” Rachel greeted, her tone far too cheerful, her eyes glinting with curiosity.“Morning,” I replied, brushing past her desk as quickly as possible, but she wasn’t about to let me go so easily.“Emma, wait.” She called out, rushing to catch up wi
Emma’s POVThe day began like any other, filled with the hum of keyboards and the soft murmur of coworkers exchanging pleasantries and my desk was its usual mess, a sea of sticky notes, contracts, and a half-empty coffee mug that I kept forgetting to refill.The normalcy of it all was a comfort, a break from the storm that had reentered my life just days ago.I was in the middle of reviewing a financial report when the intercom on my desk buzzed, I jumped slightly, startled out of my focus.“Emma, this is Mr. Carter, please come to my office.” His tone was clipped, and professional but laced with something else.Urgency, perhaps?I pressed the button to respond, “Of course sir. I’ll be there in a moment.”Hanging up, I quickly saved my work and grabbed a notepad, just in case he needed updates on the Newman deal. The possibility of something being wrong pressed at me as I walked briskly down the corridor, heels clicking against the polished floor.When I reached his office, I knocked
Sam’s POVEveryone thought I was just an ordinary personal assistant to Jeff Anderson, a diligent employee who faded into the background, always professional and eager to please.That’s how it was supposed to look but the truth was, I wasn’t just a PA. My job went far beyond booking meetings and running errands.I was a spy.When Matthew Newman adopted me, I thought my life was finally turning around.As a foster kid bouncing from home to home, I didn’t know what stability looked like until he arrived, he gave me a home, opportunities, and the kind of support I’d never had before.For a while, I believed I’d been saved but it didn’t take long for me to realize Matthew wasn’t looking for a son, he was looking for a weapon.Matthew Newman hated the Anderson family, they weren’t just rivals to him, they were his obsession. He blamed them for everything that had gone wrong in his life, from the collapse of his business to the death of his wife. His hatred was like a storm, and I was swept
Emma's POVReturning to work felt like stepping onto shaky ground. After everything that had happened, I was still on edge.My thoughts were muddled, and my body felt like it was running on autopilot. The events of the past few days had left me tense, scared, and more uncertain than ever.The break-in at the house, the threats, and the way Jeff had acted, it all felt too much, he’d promised to protect us, but something in his eyes told me there was more he wasn’t saying.And that unsettled me more than anything, I didn’t know who to turn to or what to believe.Jeff’s reassurances, once my source of comfort, now felt like empty words, weighed down by the secrets I knew he was hiding.Sitting at my desk, I tried to focus on the emails piling up in my inbox, the familiar click of my keyboard should have been grounding, but my hands shook as I typed.Every noise in the office made me flinch, a creak of a chair, the ringing of a phone, everything felt amplified, like a warning I couldn’t d
Jeff’s POVThe house had been heavy with unspoken tension since the argument between Emma and her parents.Every interaction with Emma had felt strained like we were speaking two different languages. She had every right to be upset, I hadn’t been on her side when she needed me most.That morning, as I straightened my tie in front of the mirror, the thought bothered me. The guilt was relentless, and it had soured everything, including the fragile connection I’d been trying to rebuild with Emma.She hadn’t even looked at me during breakfast, barely speaking beyond a curt “good morning.” I couldn’t stand this distance anymore.I ran a hand through my hair, muttering to myself, “You screwed up Jeff. Big time.”The kids’ laughter floated up from the kitchen, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered between Emma and me, I couldn’t fix the past, but maybe I could start fresh.I glanced at the clock, work would have to wait, and I had a quick stop to make first. Pulling on my jacket, I d
Emma's POVThe house felt emptier than usual.Mornings were always like this after Jeff and the twins left, eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the clock in the kitchen.I finished brushing my hair, then reached for my blazer, slipping it on and smoothing the fabric as I glanced at my reflection in the full-length mirror.My eyes lingered on my face, tracing the faint lines that stress had started to etch there. A few days had passed since the confrontation with my parents, but their words and Jeff’s disapproval still weighed heavily on me.I know Jeff and I had a conversation about what had gone down that night, but it still bothered me that he wasn't on my side, to begin with. He had chosen to defend my parents first and that didn't sit well with me at the slightest bit. With a sigh, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. As I unlocked it to check the time, the screen lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number.I hesitated, my