CHARLOTTEAfter Bella left, Nathan spoke with the doctors.The consent form was nullified, and Sophie disappeared before Nathan could decide what he wanted to do with her.I dressed, finding strength in Nathan's presence and the thought of meeting my boy.As soon as the doctors pronounced me sound enough to be up and about, I left the hospital with Nathan.The drive to the hospital where Charles was was quiet.I had a lot of things to say to Nathan, but I was not in the right headspace.I could not bear to think about how he would react if he knew what I’d come to terms with days ago — Charles was his son.When we arrived at the hospital, we were ushered into the children’s ward and immediately taken to Charles.Immediately, I set eyes on him, my legs gave out, and I slid to the floor.He was pale and looked extremely skinny. His lips were chapped, and tubes were all over his body.Nathan crouched before me and helped me up, guiding me to sit in a chair that was by the bedside.“Hey.
CHARLOTTE(Days Later)Sophia could not hide for long.Nathan alerted the police about her crimes, and she was hunted relentlessly.Liam reached out to me, still trying to get me to ask Nathan to drop the charges and stop the police. He begged, yelled, and threatened.But I didn't budge.Sophia deserved to suffer for everything she had put me through due to her selfishness, but the main reason why she was reported was for the kidnapping and attempted murder of my son.Days later, she was apprehended and detained in police custody.Nathan hired a very competent lawyer, and I visited the police station countless times to give statements.Charles was still in the hospital, and Nathan spent all his time with my son. Our son.He did his job remotely, not wanting to be away from Charles’s sight for a while.Seeing them relate together was heartwarming, and while I was going to and fro from the hospital to the police station, my mind was at rest.Charles was with his father. He was in safe h
CHARLOTTEI froze when Wendy stopped by Nathan’s side and purred into his ear, eye glinting like that of a hunter whose trap had caught a mouse.I suppose I was the mouse in this case.Nathan stiffened, instantly recognizing the voice.Wendy straightened up and asked the waiter to place an extra chair at our table.No one said anything as she sat down, and I felt a very familiar fear, my heart racing at the thought of her taking Nathan away from me.“Do you mind giving me an explanation, Nathan, as to why you're dining with an ex-convict and her bastard son?” her voice was sugary sweet, but there was no mistaking the venom in them.Charles's eyes widened at the foul wide, and I grimaced, rage slowly replacing the fear in my bones.Wendy needed to be taught a lesson, but I would not have this conversation before my son.“Darling, would you mind staying behind the waiter’s counter for a while? We'd like to talk with this woman, please,” I said, and Charles nodded.I gestured for a waitp
CHARLOTTEAs we drove home, I listened with a small smile as Charles and Nathan conversed.They bonded naturally, words flowing smoothly and unhindered. It was nice watching them bond, and I sighed contently.When we got home, I didn't bother trying to make dinner because everyone was full from the restaurant.I relaxed on the couch, laughing my lungs out as my husband and my son chased themselves around the room. Charles screamed every time Nathan caught him.As they played, I could not help but remember how Liam treated my child with distaste and disdain.He never took his time to get to know the boy, and my heart broke at how lonely my son must have felt.Charles must have known how Liam felt; he must have seen the hate radiating from him. That must be why he rarely asked about him and instead kept asking if Nathan could be his daddy.I knew I shouldn't compare Liam to Nathan, but I could not help it even though I knew now that the boy was not Liam's, but Nathan's.But Liam was ref
CHARLOTTELife settled into a comfortable rhythm.Nathan drove Charles to school every morning before going to work.I stayed home and occupied myself with baking, cooking, and generally making delicious meals for them to savor once they returned home.Nathan and Charles continued to bond, and their growing closeness made me happy.On weekends, they went to fields to play soccer, theaters to watch animations, parks to ride rollercoasters, and fancy restaurants to gouge themselves on food.I went with them sometimes but could not keep up with their energy, so I mostly stayed home and relaxed.During these times, I decided to heed Noah’s advice and start my career as a food blogger.First, I made small, simple dishes and uploaded them on a new YouTube channel I created.Gradually, I got views and comments. But that wasn’t just it.Sometime after I started, I uploaded a food clip that became my breakout video.The content was pushed into YouTube’s various spots and had millions of views.
CHARLOTTENathan was gone for days, and every day, I waited for the door to open for him to walk in. But he didn’t.Charles, who was on some sort of school break, spent every day with me at home, and he constantly asked after his Daddy.He really missed Nathan and kept asking when the business trip would end.I missed Nathan, too. I more than missed him.The bed was cold without him.The house felt hollow and empty, too.It was as though its essence had been sucked away into an abyss created by Nathan's absence.To ease Charles's heart and make him forget about Nathan's absence for a while—and partly because I needed someone to talk to—I decided to take him to see Noah.Noah was surprised and delighted to see us, and within minutes of our arrival, Charles had almost talked his ears off.They talked about everything, Charles chattering on and on about every detail of his life. Noah was patient and a great listener, and watching them talk eased the turbulence in my heart.Long minutes a
CHARLOTTEI took a deep breath, trying to quench the doubt creeping into my heart.All the equipment I needed had been set up, including pots and pans, flour, milk, eggs, and everything else I would use.My phone was already at a clear angle, close enough to show the cooking process but far enough to ensure visibility for the viewers.I was ready, but my fear stopped me from starting the livestream.What if it didn’t go well?What if I ended up being the only one on the stream despite the comments and requests?What was I supposed to do if the subscribers I was counting on rejected me?What if my announcement about being a married woman came off the wrong way?What if…I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away.There was no turning back now. I had to do this.So I took another deep breath, willed my heart to stay calm, and started the livestream.The meal I was going to prepare was something simple. Fluffy Pancakes.I knew it was something most people would be good at, but I wanted
NATHANI watched Charlotte silently from a corner as she started her livestream.My heart raced as I saw how beautiful she looked doing what she loved.Cheeks flushed, eyes alight with passion, she looked every inch the woman I fell in love with, and I regretted ever asking her not to do it.When I got back, she wasn't home, and for a moment, I was scared that she had left me.But when I heard footsteps, I hid myself, ashamed of facing her after running off the way I did.And when she announced her marriage status, telling her viewers that she was a happily married woman who would not trade her husband for anything, my heart warmed in my chest.I had been planning to apologize, but she got busy immediately after she got home, so I decided to wait for the right time.The live stream was about to end when I noticed something was wrong.Charlotte’s expression instantly changed, and she started shaking.She was panicking.Her fingers hovered the screen as if contemplating whether to end t
CHARLOTTETHREE MONTHS LATERToday was my wedding day. As I walked down the hall towards my husband, my eyes watered, lips stretched into a smile.I took one step after another, and my mind flashed back to the day he officially proposed to me.*“Come on, get ready. I want to show you something,” Nathan said as he tugged me out of bed.I frowned.I had been feeling sluggish today and wasn't particularly interested in going out.Besides, I wanted to finish the romance novel I was reading, but Nathan didn't budge as he tugged me up.“I promise it will be worth your time. Please?” he pouted, and I laughed at his cute appearance.I gave in and got dressed.He waited patiently for me, and since it was almost dusk, I decided to wear a beautiful strapless gown he got for me the other day.Nathan whistled as he took in my appearance.“I don't know where we are going though. Is this alright?” I asked, and Nathan just nodded.“You're perfect. Come on, let's go.”Nathan was in a perfectly good m
NATHANI met Lucy the day after Charlie found her, and she explained everything she knew.Lucy explained how sad and heartbroken my mother was and how she tried to hide all of her broken feelings from me.She told me how my father and his wife, Melina, killed my mother to take over the company, which was rightfully hers.When my parents got married, my mother was just the rich daughter of rich parents. But after her parents' death, the company automatically passed to her.I guess that was when William started to abuse her.As her husband, he had rights to the company, but my mother held all the power.The company was to be mine when I came of age, but William and Melina killed my mother and took over, making me a CEO while still having the company in their grasp.I thanked Lucy profoundly for agreeing to talk to me.She permitted me, so I recorded all the information and took it to the police as evidence.William was arrested, along with his wife, Melina.My father was furious that I
NATHANThe sun rose before us, and I was still sleepy when the doorbell rang. I frowned as I glanced at the time.It was seven in the morning.Who could be at our doorstep this early?I groaned at the relentless ringing, and Charlotte's body became aware of mine.She opened her eyes and met my gaze, a smile on her lips. My heart skipped a beat as she smiled at me.She was so gorgeous, damn. Her smile, sleepy eyes, and messy hair made my head flutter, and I leaned in to kiss her.“Good morning,” I whispered. She nuzzled against me.“Good morning. I thought I heard the doorbell ringing,” she yawned as she sat up.As if on cue, the doorbell rang again.Charlotte wrapped a robe around her body, and we padded to the living room to see who it was.I asked her to step back while I opened the door.It was a delivery man.Several delivery men.The one closest to me glanced up at me before looking back at his clipboard.“Hello. Is this Ms. Charlotte's residence?” he asked, and Charlotte walked
CHARLOTTEWe spent some time with my new family, and when it got late, we decided to leave.Selina was sad to see us go. She tried to get us to stay overnight, but we told her we would come and visit her soon.Besides, we needed to get home for Charles.The drive home was silent. Nathan was focused on the road, and I kept thinking about what happened.I recalled the day's events, from the hospital visit to the massive feast, and almost combusted from the emotions running through me.By the time we got home, I was still too shell-shocked to speak, and Nathan embraced me.“You've been quiet, my love. Are you alright?” his brows were furrowed with worry, and I rested my head on his chest before I answered.“I'm fine. I am. I just can't…it's so hard to believe,” I said softly.“What is?” he asked.I had a feeling he knew what I was talking about, but he needed me to say the words, to articulate them, so that I could better understand myself.“That I finally found my new family. And they'r
CHARLOTTENathan held me for a long time, and we stayed in the restroom.During this time, I reflected on the reason I’d come here in the first place.The dawning news of my new family—my new beginning, my new home.My chest constricted, and in seconds, tears filled my eyes.I had a mother now.The thought hit me suddenly, so unexpectedly, and the first sob left my lips.A mother.One who loved me.I remembered our encounters and how warm she made me feel, how she laughed with me, how she made me feel at peace.I remembered our connection and the ease with which she related to me.I remembered our shopping spree and how she convinced me to play dress-up. I remembered us laughing at our ridiculous dresses and how beautiful they were.Selina loved me right from the first day we met at the beach.The sob turned into full-fledged tears.Nathan patted me on the back, saying nothi
CHARLOTTEA few days later, Selina called me to inform me that the DNA test results were ready.Nathan drove my nervous self to the hospital.When we got there, we saw Selina outside. She was bouncing on the tips of her legs and immediately embraced me when she saw me.“Hi, Selina. Shall we go in now?” I asked, but the older woman shook her head negatively.“Oh, there's no need for that, my darling. I already got the results. Here, see for yourself,” she said, handing a document to me.My heart pounded, and my hands shook slightly as I opened the document.I gasped when I saw it, tears springing into my eyes.I was Selina's daughter.Selina was my biological mother.A sob escaped my throat as I read the confirmation over and over.After all these years of searching, all these years of misconceptions and lies.After all these years of suffering, of paying for a crime she didn't
CHARLOTTEWhen I returned home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Julian's comment about Nathan's company.Julian had hinted about Nathan losing everything he worked for.What did that mean?Was someone trying to overthrow him? I wanted to call him, but I didn't.He had already started work today, so if something were wrong, he would deal with it.Right?Nathan was competent. So I did not need to worry.I paced for a while, then decided to do something to distract myself from overthinking.It had been a while since I baked, so I went to the kitchen and arranged some ingredients.The worry in my body eased as I kneaded the dough, and I relaxed.I got into a rhythm, losing myself in the chore. My body moved fluidly, the motions as natural as breathing, and as I baked, I sang.I soon lost track of time.Nothing else mattered outside the bubble I was in except for my dough and my song.I
NATHANI was on my way to the office when my phone rang. It was a strange number, and I was reluctant to pick it up.But my instincts told me it must be someone important, so I picked up the call.The call was from the city’s prison, and I frowned when the warden told me an inmate wished to speak with me.Who could it possibly be?I waited as the warden handed the phone to whoever it was, and immediately, I heard the familiar tenor of Sophie's voice; I wanted to hang up.“Before you do anything, I want you to please listen to me,” her voice was weak, and I could feel the rattling pattern of her breath.She didn’t sound very healthy.“And why should I listen to you?” I snapped.“Because the doctor said I'm dying, and I don't want to die with this weight in my chest. I need to see you, please,” she begged, coughing as she spoke.I said nothing as I hung up and parked t
CHARLOTTEI woke up in Nathan’s arms, happy and contented.The past few days were like heaven.Nathan spent every moment with me, spoiling me rotten.We went shopping, ate fancy courses at exquisite restaurants, attended posh and elegant parties, ate street food, and did everything we could think of.I nuzzled into him, not wanting to lose the warmth, when suddenly my phone buzzed on the bedside table, and I groaned.I wasn't willing to stand up yet, but the buzzing was insistent, and I sighed as I sat up and reached for the phone.It was Selina.The older woman was excited when I picked up her call, and I felt guilty for not wanting to pick up earlier.“I hope I'm not disturbing you?” she asked.“No, no. Not at all, Selina. Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked.“Oh. The thing is, I was wondering if you'd like to go shopping with me. I'm bored, and I don't want to go on my own.” I had a feeling that Selina was pouting as she spoke, and the image that came to my head at the