Thane POVA bottle of half-drunk whiskey lay by my side, along with the diary I hadn't dropped ever since yesterday. Needing to be alone, I gave all the staff today off. It's easy to forget all the things one does out of anger or indignation, but I know the recipient of that action would not have trouble recalling it. Andera's diary had shattered something inside of me. Andera, being such a creative person, had documented every tumultuous moment of our marital life together. A few of her entries were pleasant to read, the rest made me want to go back in time and re-do everything right. If only I could, I would twist the hands of time to the day when she asked me out to lunch. That morning, Andera had worn a stunning dress, she mentioned in the diary that she took extra time to groom herself that morning, in hopes of a compliment or appreciation, but it never came, and then, to make matters worse, I had stood her up after she went out of her way to secure us a spot at one of the mo
Andera's Pov. I don't know much of Italian, but I've been around Rosa long enough to know that Bella means beauty. He called me beautiful. I withdrew my hand from him, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with my old apron and flour-stained cheeks. His onyx eyes didn't stop searching my face. There was something with him I couldn't quite put in place. He had this rugged beauty. With an earring on one ear and a tattoo that snaked up his arm."Via" Rosa's voice startled me. "You didn't even unload your bags before jumping out of the car." She chided.Her brother. The one she went to pick from the airport. Mortification washed over me. This is the first time I'm meeting with Rosa's brother and I look a mess."I wanted to see the friend you won't stop talking about." He grinned at her. Then his gaze settled on me again. "And what a beauty she is." his eyes were so dark, but I swear I could see the pupils dilate."Leave her alone Carol, Andera is my friend" Rosa warned and moved past him int
Andera's Pov. I hadn't laughed so much in one day as I had today. At some point, Rosa came into the kitchen to check up on me and her brother. She frowned when she saw the both of us with flour on our clothes. "The kids are watching cartoons in the living room." she had said, then left. Rosa's warning still rang in my ears, but Carol was good company and fun to be with, at least when he wasn't taking sneaky glances at my legs; he was cool to be around. Funny and cheerful. I couldn't help but warm up to him. "Now behold my masterpiece," Carol said with a mock bow and then opened the oven to bring out the chocolate cake. "Our masterpiece" I corrected. " We both made this cake together" "Did we? You just left all the hard work for me; your tiny efforts barely count," he teased. "Can I just taste it already?" "Alright, but only because you begged me" I fake rolled my eyes. Carol took a slice of the cake and fed it to me. I let out a moan of satisfaction when the moist cake me
Andera's Pov.I hissed. There would be no 'Soon' anything between me and Carol. Before I could drop my phone down, a message came up that had my eyes widening in their sockets.'EXECUTIVE OF RENIHARDT'S INFRASTRUCTURE ALLEGEDLY HARASSED YOUNG INTERN.'My heart hammered in my chest. Harassment? Thane's company? Thane had worked tirelessly to ensure that his company maintained a good name; I knew the great deal of time and energy it took him to oversee his company.How would he be coping with this situation? I shoved the thought aside. I couldn't possibly be worried about Thane. I hated him; I was only this concerned because it may rub off my company; that was the only reason why it seemed my heart wanted to split into two, this fear inside of me; it was not because I cared about him, right? I didn't give myself time to decipher my feelings before recklessly dialing his number."Andera," my name rolled off Thane's tongue; his voice didn't carry its usual confidence; he sounded flat
Thane's pov.Mom?! Does Andera have a child?A myriad of emotions coursed through me at once. Shock, surprise, Unbelief. Andera had a daughter? Wait, that would mean she has a partner in her life.No! Andera is single, or why else would she be using her father's surname? Right? 'You have a child?' I type and send it to her. Despite it being almost six pm, with the cool Seattle air and air-conditioned office, heat was rising inside of me. I shrugged off my suit jacket and loosened my tie as I waited for Andera's reply. If she doesn't text me back, I swear to God, I will go to her home this instant and find out answers for myself. Shit, I want her. I don't care if she's had a child during our time apart, it makes no difference to me. I would love her and love her child equally as well. Paul pokes his annoying head into my office, aggravating me further"Planning on staying here tonight, Boss? The company is already deserted.""Get the fuck out." I sneer at Paul. I'm not in the mo
Andera's pov.Thane groaned into my mouth, I felt the vibration all the way down to my core. His hands gripped my hair, urging me to part my lips for him, to deepen this kiss. Our tongues danced around each other in a beautiful, sensual rhythm. Nothing about the kiss was teasing or shy; it was demanding and furious; we latched onto each other with an indescribable force. Kissing Thane was the only diversion I could think of. If I had run back inside to call the police, he may have followed me, which would have meant risking him seeing Tim and Tiffy. One look at his son and Thane would know the truth.I cannot risk that, I have eight more weeks and a few days to get my revenge, pull out of Thane's collaboration, and let him suffer the losses that come with a failed partnership. Till then, I need to keep him off my radar. But why am I enjoying the taste of Thane's lips on mine this much? I shouldn't; I should break it. "Fuck, Andera. You taste divine. I could keep feasting on you f
Andera's pov "Bye, Mommy." Timmy and Tiffany chorused. I breathed a sigh of relief. Tiffany's body temperature was normal, and she was elated to go to school I caught sight of the lipgloss glistening on Tiffany's small pink lips but I let it slide. After all my worrying yesterday, I'm so relieved seeing my little girl animated that I can't bring myself to reprimand her. Just as I was about turning on my heels to go to the car, Timmy rushed back to me. "Mommy, wait!" I stopped at Tim's demanding yell."What is it sweetie?" I squat on my heels. Timmy looks up at me from beneath those thick eyelashes, his gray eyes full of a certain kind of determination. "Is Aunty Rosa's brother coming over today?" He asked, with his hand placed on his hips. For a moment, I'm shocked. Shocked and amused. "You don't like him?" I hold back a smile. Timmy folds his small arm over his chest and shakes his head. Tiffany -whom I didn't notice had walked back to me and did the same- folding her hands
Andera's pov.Thane's arrest was the first thing I heard of when I stepped into my office. The next thing I did was to drive here. I stiffen in Thane's embrace. Hugging me in public like this would spread rumors about us, and then the truth about our failed marriage would come to the spotlight, and then... I pushed Thane away. "Andera." He rasped, looking at me like I had just offered him the moon on a silver platter. The push or rejection of the hug didn't even register in his head. Contrary to what Thane may think, I am only here because the more he stays locked up in this cell for a crime he didn't commit, the longer my plans for revenge are being delayed. Rosa had already started the process for the termination of our partnership, handling the necessary paperwork to ensure that Thane's company would assume all liabilities and financial losses incurred."Thank you. For showing up." He muttered. Guilt gnawed my insides, making it hard to answer Thane. I am very close to my lon
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