Andera's pov.I swallowed hard, my heart skipping a bit while Thane held my second wrist.I knew Thane well enough to recognize that menacing look in his eyes, and a shiver ran down my spine. " She isn't going anywhere, we came together, we will leave together. Perish any thoughts you're conjuring Grace. It won't work. " He maintained. If it were any other person on the receiving end of Thane's subtle threatening statement, they would have fled, but this is Grace. She was there since his childhood. The woman is like a big aunty to him.Grace clicked her teeth, frowning in disapproval."I will not let this beautiful woman here-" she gestured at me "- to waste a fine evening as this. " Challenge flickered in her jade eyes, she tugged me closer again."Grace, let her go. " Thane answered calmly, too calmly to be anything but frightening.He tugged me closer, and Grace pulled me towards herself. That was how I found myself sandwiched in between their bickering. Thane's eyes narrowed w
Thane's pov There are so many things I want to do to her and with her. At this point, it would be useless to deny it. I want Andera, scratch that, I need her, or I might just explode. I don't know how much longer till my frayed restraint completely washes away. Andera just left me and Grace with our mouths open in awe, and dammit, she made me breathless.Again, I ask myself, how is this even possible? This is the same woman I spent my life ignoring, both when she was under my family's care and when she became my wife.They say change is constant, and yes, Andera has changed, but is it usually this drastic and overwhelming? " Are you listening, Thane? " The blonde lady says to me. She has been talking non-stop of things I don't want to hear. I didn't even know why, and when she approached me, I was too focused, gawking at Andera as she took small sips of her drink. I should pay close attention to Andera; being drunk at a party like this, in a sea of men, would do more harm than good
Thanes pov.The jeep hurtled towards me. Closer, faster. I shut my eyes closed as the Jeep's blinding headlights pierced through my windshield.I braced myself for what was to come, only it didn't come. When I opened my eyes. The jeep had stopped mere inches away from my car. Like a miracle.I couldn't bring myself to sigh in relief yet, not when Andera was still inside that car with God knows who. Despite the cool night air, sweat tricked from my forehead down to my chin. I could hear my heavy breathing in my car. A tense minute of stillness passes.I fight back the urge to confront the Abductor. Confronting him might not be the best option, especially since I didn't know if he was armed. It was all I could think about to stop me from storming out of my car. The cops should be here anytime soon now. I can't see through the front tinted glass on the jeep but I know that Andera is in there.In a flash, the back door to the jeep opens, and Andera falls to the hard ground with a lou
Andera's povI hated Thane. I have never had so much hatred for one person. I hated him for what he did to me seven years ago, for believing I would stoop so low and steal from him, my husband. Nothing could quench that angerBut yet, here we are, lips crashing into one another's. Just like on our first night.They say there is a thin line between love and hate. If that's true, then I am balancing precariously on that line. I know I will never love Thane, not like I used to, but tonight, just for tonight, I'll risk it. I will put one foot on the other side of that line.I parted my lips for him, allowing Thane to deepen the kiss. We could have tonight, this frenzied moment of reckless abandon, not caring if were divorced, business partners or not.Come morning, I will go back to hating Thane, to orchestrating his ruin. Tonight, I break my rules.Thane groaned, pulling my head closer. Using his tongue to tease me, making me crave more of him.I knew any of the nurses could walk in an
Thane's pov.Three empty bottles of whiskey lay beside me. I groaned, wincing as I tried to open my eyes, but the sunlight that seeped in through the open window assaulted my senses. I raised a hand to my face to shield myself from the harsh rays.It took a minute for me to realize what room I had passed out in.My living room, where all the staff's could have seen me wasted. After seeing Andera leave with only one bodyguard, I was still apprehensive, but knowing that her kidnappers were in police custody, my tension eased a bit. I could vaguely remember anything that happened when I returned home in the early hours of this morning, save for Melissa's incessant yelling and me drinking whiskey, formulating my plan to get Andera back.I must have drank too much.The station, our statement. Fuck I was supposed to be there with Andera. I glanced at the grand pendulum clock; it was already eleven in the morning. I was supposed to be at the police station two hours ago.I cursed my luck
Andera's povNumber 47. I should hate Thane for how he stood back and watched as Melissa made me hand wash her clothes.Number 48. I should hate Thane because of how he stood me up when I asked him to lunch on our first marriage anniversary Number 49. ... I dropped my pen on the desk. My mind had suddenly gone blank. That was strange, the last time I did this; writing all the reasons why I should hate Thane. I could have sworn I had written nearly five hundred reasons. Now I'm stuck at forty-eight. My alarm goes off. It's already nine o'clock. Time to meet with the officer who had caught those men. A cold shiver ran down my spine.When I returned in the early hours of the morning, I had filled in Rosa on all that happened, though I left out what transpired between me and Thane.Rosa wept for me as I narrated everything; I cried, too, quietly so as not to wake the kids. She was there to support me emotionally, Rosa had stayed up till I drifted to sleep. She had mentioned something a
Andera's pov"Father." I gasped. Before I could blink twice and process his sudden arrival, he swept me into a tight, crushing hug."Andera, my child. " He whispered as he squeezed me closer to himself."I cannot wrap my head around why you chose to keep this from me." His voice was laden with a mix of relief and reprimand. "You don't know how worried I was when Officer Jerkins told me about the situation. I had my pilot fly me here the moment I hung up my phone" " Father. " I whispered again, Clinging to him tightly as tears prickled at the corner of my eyes. This feeling of being loved and cared for. I don't think there was any getting used to it. My father had shown me so much unwavering devotion."I didn't want to bother you." My voice cracked as I explained. "I know how demanding your schedule is and I didn't want to add to your worries."He let out a bitter laugh." Worries?". He repeated. "My child. You mean the world to me." He pulled back, resting his hands on my shoulders
Thane's pov.A cool breeze blew over my face, just like the way the week had flown by. I had gone to the police department to meet with Officer Jerkins. He revealed that Andera and her father had been there the day before.I was surprised. Andera's father had come here from Boston to ensure his daughter's safety.He must care about her deeply, and I didn't need to be a shaman to know he would hate me. Hell, I would hate me. Throwing out my wife to the streets, even if I didn't know she was homeless, wasn't an excuse.I had put a hold on my plans and stayed away from her for the space of a week. Let her enjoy her time with her daddy. But a week was all I could take. Each day, I would stare at my phone, hoping for a message from her, a meeting, strategy secession, new client negotiation, anything, as long as it meant I got to see her face, hear her voice, and confirm that she was okay.I knew she would be. She had a father who loved her and cared for her. The three fuckers who tried
Andera's pov“Please, Daddy. Pleaseeee”Tiffany begged, giving Thane adorable puppy eyes. If we weren't running late for work and preschool, I would have stood much longer to watch Thane battle with indecisiveness. It was cute to see the refined and powerful CEO of a multi-billion dollar company struggle to say ‘No’ to a nearly five-year-old kid. “Tiffany. You can't.” I said softly but firmly, helping Thane out. His shoulders visibly sagged with relief. This little girl had him wrapped around her small fingers “You cannot wear a tiara and heels to school. It's against school policies.”She grumbled and looked up at her daddy, waiting for him to intervene. Thane shrugged apologetically and offered to buy her a new doll house if she cooperated. “I'm sorry sweetie, but mommy is right. I could, however, buy you a new doll house instead.”Tiffany considered the offer for a beat, before grinning and accepting “Deal?” “Deal”They both shook hands like they had closed a business contr
Andera's povOur partnership was thriving more than I expected. Reinhardt infrastructure and Auraspire Energies were the talks of the town. Rumors had already flown around about me and Thane, but we chose not to address the issue yet. We were happy the way we were. Lazy mornings in bed, afternoons texting each other and giving updates about our companies, evenings with our kids, and laughter enough to make our stomachs hurt, and then, last but definitely not least, nights of passionate lovemaking. We were happy, that was until some certain visitor showed up on Sunday.“I'm sorry to interrupt your...time Sir, but you have some visitors.” Joseph, our butler, interrupted our banter.It was a lazy Sunday evening. Thane and I were nibbling on my homemade red velvet cookies; the twins were with Rosa. She would bring them back in an hour or so. Initially, Thane had been reluctant to let Tim and Tiffy out of his sight, but after much convincing on my part, he finally budged. The kids were
Andera's pov.If my smile widened just a tiny fraction, my face would split into two. Who knew forgiveness could be so refreshing? It's been almost two weeks since I gave in to Thane; that's two weeks of happiness, laughter, love, and...other things.I watched as Thane helped Timmy and Tiffany with their home works. Pencils and crayons were scattered in the living room. As if he knew I was watching him, Thane raised his face and saw me standing at the foot of the stairs. From over here, I could feel the heat that flared in his eyes. “Hey.” he mouthed, his eyes warm. “Hey.” I mouthed back, Thane's eyes trailed over my body. Now that things between me and Thane were more.. cordial, my guard around him dropped. I wore my preferred shorts and tank tops, sometimes -in the privacy of our room, I wore nothing at all. Thane gave me a part appreciating, part promising smile before refocusing on the task spread in front of him. Heat gathered below my spine. I could never get enough of Tha
Andera's povOur partnership was thriving more than I expected. Reinhardt infrastructure and Auraspire Energies were the talks of the town. Rumors had already flown around about me and Thane, but we chose not to address the issue yet. We were happy the way we were. Lazy mornings in bed, afternoons texting each other and giving updates about our companies, evenings with our kids, and laughter enough to make our stomachs hurt, and then, last but definitely not least, nights of passionate lovemaking. We were happy, that was until some certain visitor showed up on Sunday.“I'm sorry to interrupt your...time Sir, but you have some visitors.” Joseph, our butler, interrupted our banter.It was a lazy Sunday evening. Thane and I were nibbling on my homemade red velvet cookies; the twins were with Rosa. She would bring them back in an hour or so. Initially, Thane had been reluctant to let Tim and Tiffy out of his sight, but after much convincing on my part, he finally budged. The kids were
Andera's povI snuggled closer to the solid warmth behind me that was new yet familiar. A soft purr escaped my lips. ‘Where was I?’ I thought in my hazy mind.Boston?Seattle?Home?My bed felt different, more comfy and warm. I sighed when something strong and warm brushed over my stomach, pulling me closer. I let out another moan.My eyes opened a fraction to see gray and white walls, furniture that I didn't recognize, and paintings that weren't mine. “What? Where...am..?” “You're awake.” a gravelly voice whispered into my hair. It took me less than a second to recognize that voice. It was Thane's. At once, my hazy memories cleared up. The warmth radiating around me was Thane's body. What I felt on my stomach was his big hand pulling me closer to him.“Hey!” I scrambled away from Thane and off the bed. “Why were you cuddling me?” Thane wiped the sleep from his eyes with his hands; his dark hair tousled; morning light seeped in through the curtains and rested on his skin, making t
Andera's pov.“Welcome home” Thane gestured into his mansion, a smug grin on his face that I wanted to smack away. Last night, while we settled into the too-tight sleeper couch, I had agreed we all live together, that Is until I can come up with a plan. The idea of living with Thane, under the same roof makes me want to pull my hair out. If five months ago, someone had told me that I would be living with Thane. I would have called them crazy, but here we were.It's not like I have much of an option though. Go to court? Good gracious no. Move back to Boston and leave my children behind? Not even at gunpoint. Move in with my ex-husband, whom is loving and kind to our kids and won't stop looking at me like he's a starved man and I'm his last meal? Umm... How bad could it be? The answer: catastrophically bad. “Stop staring at me., I yelled In a fierce whisper. Thane's lips curled an inch. “I'm just so glad you decided to come home.” “I did this for our kids.” I retorted. “So i
Thane's pov “Your daughter is responding well to the transfusion. We will need to keep her admitted overnight for observation, but we're optimistic about her recovery.” My shoulders sagged with relief, and so did Andera's. Tiffany had been transferred to a specialized hospital when the results came out showing that I was a perfect match. We both exchanged a look, Andera's face lit up, she placed her hand on my arm and softly mouthed “Thank you.” My heart- the poor guy melted into a puddle. Now that we were sure Tiffany was okay, my tension had loosened up, and I was starting to feel like an idiot for lashing out at Andera, for getting angry at her when she had as much right to hate me. I placed a hand over hers. “I'm sorry.” I mouthed back. For being an a*shole, when she was down and needed me. “I'm sorry for everything.” When Andera gave me that mesmerizing smile, I was tempted to pull her close to me and lock my lip with hers. The doctor, (whom we had forgotten was there)
Thane's pov Seeing Andera had brought up all the anger, frustration, and hurt I had locked away. I told myself I would look past what she had done and move on from it for the sake of our children, but the wound cut too deep; I wondered if it would ever truly heal.I reached the doctor's office. My heart beating erratically in my chest as I pondered over the condition of my daughter. I silently cursed myself for the minutes I wasted exchanging words with Andera. The doctor stood up, pushing her curls behind her ear.“I'm Tiffany's father.” I blurted out. “Tiffany and Timmy's father.” Andera came up behind me, so close I could feel her body heat. My heart twisted again, her proximity stirred a painful longing Inside me.“Well then. Let's begin. We will start by taking your blood to see if you're a match for your daughter." The doctor stated.Even after three days, knowing that I have a daughter and a son still felt surreal to me; it made me feel equal parts happiness, sadness, and w
Thanes pov.I could have sworn I heard a crack in my chest. “What are you talking about Andera?” I demanded. Andera sniffed some more. Murderous rage ripped through me while my mind raced a mile a minute with the worst cases scenarios. If someone hurt her or Tiffany.....I shook the thoughts away; I couldn't possibly be thinking of killing someone when I was in a cemetery. “It's Tiffany. Sh...she is....we couldn't...” Andera stuttered. My blood pressure skyrocketed.“Send me your location, now. I'll be there.” she ended the call and I waited for Andera's message. “Are you leaving?” Imogen asked, her red-rimmed eyes peeking out from under the lace of her black hat. Melissa's death hit Imogen the hardest.When I found Melissa dead days ago, I immediately informed the police; investigations were carried out and are still being carried out. I spent the first day and most of the second at the police department, cooperating with the investigations, and even after I was cleared of all su