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
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 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 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
Thane's pov “I'm not nervous,” Andera murmured. “I am completely relaxed.” she blew out a deep breath. “See, fine.”I swallowed down the laugh working its way out of me. “You're completely relaxed, hun? Is that why there's sweat on your face, even though the AC is on full blast?” I teased, my eyes crinkling at the corners.Andera glared at me, but her face quickly softened when I pulled her in for a hug. “It's one dinner date with your father. How many things could go wrong?” She mumbled something unintelligible, snuggling closer to me “A lot.” Mr Campbell, Andera's father was in Seattle. I know he's not a big fan of mine, Andera had once subtly mentioned that, but despite his reservations, he didn't interfere in our lives- yet“It will be fine, Love,” I assured her. Andera sighed, “How do you know that?”My lips twitched into a small smug smile. “I know because I have my charm. It's impossible to dislike me for long. Look at you, you came around, and so will your father.”An
Andera's povThe scent of bacon and coffee waffled into my nose, urging me to wake up. I cracked an eye open to meet Thane's disarming smile. “Wake up sleepy,” he whispered and kissed the side of my face. “The morning bells are ringing.”I yawned, smiling at the sight of him. “Can I get an hour more?”Thane sat by my side and pulled the blanket away from me. “Thane,” I grumbled. “It's Sunday. Let me sleep some more; You didn't exactly let me rest after we got back from the restaurant last night.”After last night's successful dinner between my father and Thane, we celebrated in our passionate way. Thane didn't let me sleep until the early hours of this morning, not that I'm complaining or anything.“Eat up, Love, there's something I want to show you.” he stroked my hair, his fingers smoothing the tousled strands. “Can't you show me while I'm in bed?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite my growing excitement.A small chuckle rumbled in his throat. I felt the sound all the w
Thane’s Pov11: 48 pmI stared at my watch, my eyes burning from the effort not to blink. I tapped my finger impatiently against the dashboard, Two more minutes till midnight.I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t breathe properly. Knowing that Andera, Timmy, and Tiffany were in there sliced through me like a blade Nine hours.Nine goddamn hours since that text turned my world inside out.Come on, come on, come onMidnight.I shoved out of my car and sprinted towards the half-finished construction site, every muscle in my body screaming at me to go faster.All I wanted was to bring in the whole goddamn Seattle Police Department, storm into this building, tear it apart with my bare hands if I had to, and save my family,But one wrong move...All it would take is a wrong move, and this fúcker could kill them.The thought hit me so hard I nearly dry-heaved. Knots twisted in my stomach; I couldn’t even bear to picture it in my mind.I couldn’t lose them.I wouldn’t.The last nine hours have b
Andera's Pov The first thing I felt was the cold.My eyelids were heavy; it was an effort to open them; even when I did, I couldn't see past the darkness that wrapped me like a dark curtain. My head throbbed, heavy like lead. The harsh cold hit me again, racking my body with shivers.Reality hit my hazy mind like a brutal wave.The accident and kidnap.My kids.“Timmy! Tiffany!” I screamed past the burning parchedness in my throat. My voice echoed off the walls, bouncing back to me.“Atlas! Timmy!! Tiffan..”A cough so violent wrenched free from me, squeezing my organs, clogging my throat.Water, I needed water.I coughed again, and blood spluttered to my thighs; the dull ache in the side of my head returned, but it wasn't bleeding anymore; the wound must have coated.I reached out to touch it, but my hand didn't move; I tried again, but nothing; it was then I regained consciousness of my body enough to know I was tied down to a chair, my ankles were bound, and my hands tied behind m
Thane's Pov. The meeting dragged longer than it should have. Much to my Asian client's disdain, I kept glancing at my watch, thinking of Andera, Timmy, and Tiffany at the bakery and all the family time I was missing out on. Thankfully, the wedding was a stone's throw away, after which we'd go on our honeymoon - the twins included, to a place far removed, deep in the mountains. I heaved out a sigh of relief when we rounded things up. Something had been gnawing at me the entire meeting. I brushed it off as the feeling of missing out, but now that the meeting is over, I realize it's because Atlas didn't check in with me. He was supposed to give me information once they reached the bakery, and departed too. Andrea had also said she'd call me on her way back. I haven't received her call, and she should have been back by now. I called once. No answer. Twice. Nothing. By the third ring, my gut twisted sharply. I stood from my chair when the call ended and reached out to Paul “Postpon
Andera's povI could hear the blood pounding in my ears. My pulse spiked, I drew the twins closer to me.“Mommy is something wrong?” Timmy asked with a trembling voice.Atlas drew out his gun, Tiffany let out a piercing scream, Timmy burrowed into my side, his fists clutching my shirt.“Stay down.” Atlas's voice carried a note of urgency I had not heard before. My throat dried as I pulled the kids down with me to the floor of the car. “At..Atlas. Wh..what's going on?” I couldn't hear myself over the erratic beating of my heart. Oh God! What could be happening? My body trembled with fear. I reached into my purse with shaky fingers to call for help. Somehow, over the loud thumping in my chest and the shakiness of my body, I heard the sound of metal clashing against metal behind us, of tires screeching, and a loud bang.My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my horrified scream; the car behind us had just been hit.Tiffany burst into tears, and Timmy joined immediately. “Mommy”I hushed t
Andera's Pov.Tiffany tugged on her daddy's pants, giving him those cute hazel eyes both of us found hard to say No to. “Please, Daddy, please. Pretty pleaseeee”I bit back a grin when Timmy joined, grabbing the other leg. “Please, Daddy.”They were both using their child charm on him, and it was working. Thane ran a hand over his face like a defeated man. His eyes ping-ponged between the two rascals, weaponizing their asset of cuteness. There was love in his eyes, bright and unwavering, but there was also guilt, the kind only a parent would have when forced to choose duty over time with their family.“Help me.” Thane mouthed in my direction. I cleared my throat, stepping in. “Timmy and Tiffany Reinhardt, come here.”Timmy pouted, folded his arms, and stomped his foot over to my side; Tiffany held on though, sheathing her biggest weapon-big puppy hazel eyes. Thane's throat bobbed, he hated saying no to the twins. While Timmy was more understanding, Tiffany would likely throw a fit
Andera's pov. I stopped by Becky's to see how they were doing; thankfully, Jeremy is walking now with the aid of crutches; they both promised to be in attendance for the wedding. It's two more weeks to forever! I grinned and stopped at the red light. Thane and I were putting the finishing touches on our preparations. The kids and I have been so giddy ever since. I know Thane Is equally excited; he's not just bouncy like me, Timmy, and Tiffany. Explaining our remarriage to the kids had been quite a task; they kept sprouting question upon question, but they were later distracted with the promise of cakes, partying, and participating in the wedding. I drive home on autopilot. The gates opened as I pulled up in the garage; I caught sight of Thane waiting on the terrace. “Welcome back,” Thane says with a soft smile as I join him. He's wearing a crisp white shirt folded at the wrist and pants that hugged him. It was unfair how he looked insanely handsome in his casual wear. One
Andera's pov. Today was for the girls—just me, Rosa, and Tiffany.Timmy pouted as we left the house, arms crossed and lips pushed out dramatically. “Why do the girls get all the fun?” he asked, for the third time. I ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. “You’re going to get your tuxedo tested with Daddy, and he also promised you ice cream afterward. That's pretty fun too.”He nodded, his pout loosening at the mention of ice cream. I watched as Father and Son dressed up to go to the tailor. My heart doing the happy dance somersault of someone in love. With the wedding just four weeks away, our preparations have kicked into full gear, We arrived at one of Seattle's most exclusive bridal houses. The boutique was known for Its elegance and custom gowns. It smelled like soft roses and expensive fabrics when we stepped in. The bright lighting poured from the crystal-like chandeliers to the rows of dresses that looked like art.“Woah.” Tiffany's mouth flew open in awe “Mommy, it lo
Andera's pov. The clouds darkened as I made my way to my car. It was all clear skies this morning. Now it's threatening to rain, typical Seattle weather. Well, on the bright side, at least it didn't start before I made this visit. I slipped into the driver's seat of my car right as the rain started pouring down. Two weeks ago, I got that call from Atlas. I met Becky in a physically sound state, emotionally- not at all good. Her fall was a result of a call from her sister, telling her that her son had been involved in a motorbike accident. Becky left immediately to tend to her son. I turn on my car engine and drive out from the hospital's parking lot. Jeremy - Becky's son, had been recovering. Thankfully, he was wearing a helmet at the time of his motorbike accident, so no damage went to his head, but he did break some important bones in his legs. The doctor assured us that with the proper treatment and rehabilitation, he would be able to walk again. Thane and I had been visiting
Andera's pov.Seattle hadn't changed, The normal moody skies and busy traffic. My office hadn’t changed either. The floor to ceiling glass windows remained the same as with the walls, and the same soft buzz of conversations and typing that filled every corridor of Auraspire Energies.But I had changed.A whole lot, not that I dyed my hair a different color and got some tats. There was a new weight on my left hand—cool, solid, impossible to ignore.And everyone noticed.The second I stepped off the executive elevator. I caught lingering glances at my hand, the glances changed to widened eyes and whispered exchanges.Congratulations, ma’am,” Lucy, one of my very loyal workers said as I passed the marketing wing. I smiled my thanks at her; despite being the CEO, I kept my relationship with my workers professional and cordial.“Welcome back, Boss! The Maldives looked good on you,” another called out.“Damn, that ring could finance half our solar grid,” Alex, our lead engineer, muttered wi