Alexander inhaled deeply, his breath shaky as he prepared to face what he had come for. He had troubled Marianne enough already; his constant presence in her life might be suffocating her, and he could feel the strain it was causing him as well. Perhaps giving her some space would also ease his pain, though he wasn't sure if he could actually let go.After getting what he came for, he headed towards his car, the weight of his emotions pressed heavily on him, making every step toward the car feel like an uphill climb. He briefly stopped walking as he met someone he wasn't familiar with resting casually on his car. He started to walk again to his car, attempting to enter when the person spoke up.“It must be hard” the person remarked. Already in a sour mood, Alexander chose to ignore the comment, slipping into his car and driving away without a word. Watching him leave, Vincent chuckled, clearly entertained by Alexander’s reaction.“He hasn’t changed at all,” Vincent murmured to himself
Vincent watched Marianne closely as she bustled around the kitchen, preparing a meal for him. It was clear that she felt a sense of obligation since she had nothing to offer him except a meal. When she finally set the plate in front of him and took a seat opposite, she smiled warmly, visibly pleased to see him."You look so happy to see me," Vincent remarked, taking a bite of the food she had prepared. There was a playful tone in his voice, and he couldn’t help but notice her genuine warmth.Marianne’s smile broadened. "Of course, I’ve been wanting to thank you for a long time. But I heard you traveled even before the final exams," she explained, her voice carrying a hint of regret for the lost time.Vincent’s gaze remained fixed on her as he asked, "Does that mean you missed me all this while?" His question was teasing, yet there was an underlying sincerity as he stirred his food absentmindedly."Of course," Marianne admitted, her eyes sparkling with honesty. "I even waited for you d
Carine couldn't make sense of what her friend was saying, but she didn't want to risk saying anything that might upset Sophia. It wasn’t the idea of visiting Jayson that concerned her—what worried her was the possibility that Jayson might already be in a relationship."How about we visit him together for his thirty-second birthday? It's only a few months away," Carine suggested. Sophia stopped, gave her a thoughtful look, and then nodded. "I could make 'myself' his birthday present," she said, grinning as thoughts of what she could do at Jayson's party filled her mind."Thanks, cupcake, that’s a brilliant idea," Sophia winked at Carine before getting to her feet. It had been a long day, and she needed some time to unwind.****Alexander exhaled deeply as he removed his glasses, rubbing his temples in an attempt to ease his tiredness. He glanced over at Jake’s desk, noticing his friend still immersed in work, showing no signs of taking a break. Alexander, on the other hand, felt comp
After landing in Silverton, Alexander found the car he had arranged waiting for him. As he settled into the back seat, he instructed the driver to head to Marianne's house. When they arrived, Alexander stepped out while his driver, Paul, stayed behind in the car. He had asked Paul to pick him up from the airport without notifying his mother—he wanted to surprise her after so many years away.Entering the house, he spotted Mrs. Corelle sitting on the couch, her glasses perched on her nose as she skimmed through the newspaper. She looked as beautiful as ever, and Alexander couldn’t help but notice how much Marianne had inherited from her. He quietly approached and sat beside her, waiting for her to notice him. When she finally lifted her gaze from the newspaper, her eyes widened in surprise."Oh my goodness, Alexander!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. It had been so long since she last saw him, and she had missed him deeply. But her excitement quickly gave way to confu
Sienna was deep in conversation with her son, hoping to lift her mood and keep her mind occupied with something other than Alexander. He didn’t care about her, so she was determined not to care about him either. She had managed to do it for the past five years, and she believed she could do it again."So, tell me, there was a test today, right? How did it go?" she asked with a smile as Emilio puffed out his cheeks in mock disappointment."Mom, seriously? That’s not even supposed to be a question. I’m disappointed in you," Emilio teased, pouting playfully, which made Sienna smile even more. She already knew he had aced it, being the top student in his class."It must be hard pretending you don’t miss him, huh?" Emilio said, catching her off guard. Before Sienna could fully process his words, Emilio glanced up and noticed Michael approaching. He smiled and waved at him, having just now seen him for the first time that day. Maybe he hadn’t noticed Michael earlier because his mom was acti
Mrs. Skarsgard followed her son into his room. Alexander was already shirtless when she entered, and his face was a picture of frustration. He was annoyed that his mother had pretended not to know who he was referring to as "wife" earlier."You should stop barging into my room like that. What if I were naked?" he snapped, his irritation clear. His mother responded with a hard smack to his head."Look who’s talking. Do you remember when you used to run around naked? I threatened to cut off those ‘balls’ if you didn’t stop. I’m sure the maids have seen more than enough of your toothpick" she said, rolling her eyes. Alexander blinked in surprise."Toothpick? Really?" he asked incredulously, grabbing a shirt from his wardrobe. His mother shrugged and settled onto the couch, ready to continue their earlier conversation."But Xander, did you get remarried? You left to find Marianne and promised not to leave until you did. Now you’re telling me you’re married? What’s going on?" she asked. Al
It felt as though the blood in Sienna’s veins had dried up. For a moment, she lost all sense of reality—her mind shut down, unable to process what she’d just heard. Her son meant everything to her. How could she possibly go on living if her precious child was missing? Still struggling to clear her thoughts, her phone rang again. Her hands trembled as she answered, seeing it was Jayson calling. The moment she picked up, she broke into sobs. "Sienna, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice full of worry, but she was unable to form words through her tears. "You're scaring me, Sienna. What happened?" he pressed, sounding even more anxious. "Jayson… Emilio… Emilio’s not at school," she finally choked out between sobs. Her voice wavered, every word stifled by the overwhelming grief catching in her throat. “What do you mean?" he asked, his heart pounding, hoping he had misunderstood her. But when she confirmed it with louder cries, his stomach dropped. “What?!” Jayson ex
Sienna lay on her bed, silent tears falling after what seemed like an eternity of emptiness. Her heart was heavy, weighed down by the anguish of a mother separated from her child. She felt utterly lost, unable to find any comfort. The night stretched on endlessly, and she knew that sleep would not come easily.In the quiet stillness, she rose from the bed and wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water. She didn’t return to her room. Instead, she made her way to her son Emilio’s bedroom, standing in the doorway for a long time. The room felt empty, yet she imagined him there, smiling at her, telling her everything would be okay.“You need to come back to me, Emilio,” she whispered, a faint smile flickering across her tear-streaked face as though she could hear his voice reassuring her.Unable to stay there any longer, Sienna walked back to the living room. She glanced at the clock—it was already 2 a.m. She hadn’t even closed her eyes, let alone slept. How could any mother sleep in