Thane's pov.All I see is red. Blazing, fiery red.The old man's blond hair clung to his sweaty face, his features ragged and the clothes on his body must have been on for three days at least.He reeked outwardly, but I know he's dirtier on the inside.Harrison is old enough to be my father, but the level of disgust I feel right now is suffocating. I curled my fists into a ball so I wouldn't punch him in the face.Not yet. I needed to put up with this charade."Harrison?" I say, my voice cool and surprised, betraying the anger boiling within me. I need to make him believe that I would help him cover his slimy tracks, just for long enough till the cops get here. It's not like I can't overpower him and stuff him in a garbage bag. But there's something I need to know first."Mr Renihardt. Thank God I met you before the police found me." He says, relieved, somehow under the illusion that I would help him. I don't know why my father did so, but never in a million years would I cover his fi
Andera's pov. Everything is going smoothly. Well, everything except my love life. I haven't been able to meet Rosa's eyes since I stepped into the office. Guilt twisted my insides."Andera, are you listening to me? I've been trying to get your attention" Rosa said, her tone slightly aggravated. "Umm...Yeah... You were saying?" I lift my head from the computer screen I had been staring at, gulping as my eyes lock on Rosa's. She eyes me suspiciously. "Let's leave business aside first." She walks around the table, her olive skin radiating in her navy blue suit."What did you do, Andera?" My eyes suddenly widen in their sockets. She must have noticed the dark circle under my eyes since I came in three hours ago."What do you mean?" I ask feigning ignorance"I know that face; it's the same one you had that day on the beach when I forced you to wear a bikini. You have this look of self-pity whenever you feel you've done something wrong. It's all over your face now. Tell me the truth, p
Thane's pov"Fully booked? I'm not accepting that for an answer. I don't care if I have to buy the entire restaurant to get a reservation for Friday night. A table or the entire building, I'm dining there with my date on Friday." I cut the call abruptly and slammed my phone down on my desk. Paul blinked, wisely choosing not to aggravate me. Thank goodness I'm not dealing with the weird side of Paul today; I don't want anything to ruin my mood, but the restaurant's manager's reluctance was grating on my nerves. If he doesn't get me a VIP reservation by Friday, I'll just book the entire building."But sir. If it's fully booked, why don't you just find another? There are more exquisite places to take your date." I shook my head. "No, it must be this one." I persisted.This was the same place Andera had gone out of her way to secure reservations for us on our year marriage anniversary dinner I stood her up. I want to take her there and apologize for it, make amends. I will erase every
Andera's pov. I sat at my desk, exchanging a couple of messages with Dr Rahim Rajah. The date for our appointment has been set, a week from now. Tiffany hasn't shown any signs of tiredness or weakness; my little girl has been her usual energetic self, hale and hearty. But I'm not taking any chances. Better safe than sorry, which is why we're meeting with Dr Rahim next week.I stretched my arms to ease my body from the stiffness that comes with sitting down all day. Rosa was currently on-site, overseeing the installation of a solar panel system for a tech company. They wanted to change their energy source to solar power to reduce their carbon footprint. After that conversation with Rosa, I have avoided Carol like a plague. He stopped by the day after I made my move, but I had Becky politely dismiss him. Fortunately, Carol has been busy with his photography job; he's usually not at home, and our paths have only crossed once. Still, the awkwardness between us remains. I know differen
Andera's pov.Timmy had a frown on his beautiful face when I announced that Aunt Rosa and her brother - Carol, would be joining us for dinner tonight."Why can't Aunt Rosa come without her brother?" He whined, his chubby cheeks falling into a frown. I knelt down beside him in their shared bedroom, trying to reason with my stubborn boy."Because that wouldn't be nice, Timmy. Just imagine if someone invited Tiffany to a party and didn't invite you. Would you be happy?" I asked him. Tiffany, my sweet girl, giggled; she sat on her pink bed, legs dangling off the edge. "If they didn't invite Timmy over, I wouldn't go mommy." She said proudly."Fine. He can come." Timmy finally agreed. "And you promise to be nice to him?" I shot him a stern glance. A small grin played on Timmy's face. His gray eyes grew bright with mischief. "Yes, Mommy. I'll be nice to your boyfriend." He teased. My jaw dropped. "Boyfriend? No..no..." I shook my head. Timmy and Tiffany burst into a fit of giggles. Th
Andera's pov.I stared down at the necklace around my neck, Carol had put it on me before dinner. While Rosa and the twins chatted, he was taking sneaky glances at me. Our eyes met a couple of times, and I instantly looked away. I had invited Carol over to tell him the truth, not to get swoon away but his gifts and thoughtfulness. When we finished our dinner and dessert- courtesy of Becky, Rosa moved the kids to the living room so they could all watch cartoons, but I knew she was giving me some privacy to sort things out with Carol. "First off, thanks for the gifts tonight. It's really appreciated." I began; Carol had a lopsided grin on his face as he leaned back into the dining chair. His tattoos peeked out from under his short-sleeved shirt, his jean trousers hugging his thighs, and gold earrings in both earlobes. Carol is a handsome man; I don't know why my body doesn't reacted to him the way I do whenever Thane is around me."Don't mention it, Andera. I am more than glad you lov
Andera's pov. I glanced at the silver necklace on my bedside table, gleaming in the morning light that filtered in through my curtains. Despite having agreed to Carol's relationship proposal - or whatever that was last night, I didn't want to put it on again.But remembering my meeting with Thane today alongside my engineers, I swallowed down the uncertainty and wore it. It suited my cream bodice with the square-cut neckline. The engraving was clear and bold; whoever stood near me would see the writings and suspect that it was a gift from a lover. That's the reason I changed my mind, so Thane would assume it was given to me by someone special.Petty? Yeah, I know. Anything to stop him from thinking I'm available.I headed downstairs, ready to drop Tim and Tiffy at preschool. These days, I prefer driving myself every where I go. Reaching the school, I exchanged pleasantries with other parents who were dropping their kids off."See you later, Mommy." Tiffany waved me as I bent down to
Andera's pov. Thane led me outside, his hand resting on the small of my back, even in my heels, he was so tall, I'd have to tilt my neck if I wanted to see his face. The orange sunset set the sky in colorful hues. It was beautiful. I wanted to watch the sky with Thane's hand resting on my back, making me feel safe. He opened the door to his Bentley for me and I stepped in. His cologne wafted into my nose and I took in a breath full, of this familiar scent of sandalwood that always made me heady.Thane stepped into the driver's seat as I watched his long veiny fingers close around the driving wheel. I blinked, my mouth suddenly going dry, the sight of those fingers and Thane's veiny arms used to make my toes curl. It still does. I looked away, towards the streets of Seattle as Thane drove. He took a turn that wasn't the route to my home."Hey, my house is that way." I pointed towards the direction he missed."I know." Came his curt reply"What do you mean you know?" Thane didn't ans
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