Since neither I, Cody, nor Sasha—the chosen ones from the Advertising Department—had brought a car to the office, Lukas generously borrowed us his red Volvo to drive to River Lynch's office."Where is your car anyway?" Cody, who was driving, asked."It's being repaired," I lied, silently signaling Cody not to talk about it further because there was someone else who could hear.Shasa sat in the back seat. She was focused on studying Cody's notes while opening her tablet. She had represented the advertising division twice at the Sèduisant brand anniversary project team meeting. Cody chose the right person. Or maybe it wasn't Cody who chose her? Either she volunteered or the Head of the Advertising Department assigned her.Cody nodded at my perfunctory answer, though even from the side of his face I could tell he was smiling meaningfully. "What's broken?" he asked again, testing. God, I wanted to crack his head!"I don't really know," I replied irritably, then an idea popped into my head
Richard opened a door that was slightly different from the others and motioned for me to enter. And the first thing I see was River sitting behind his desk. He was no longer wearing his suit, which I later saw was hanging on a standing hanger by the large window behind his desk."What would you like to discuss, Mr. Lynch?" I asked politely, anticipating that there was someone else in the room.With a smooth motion, River rose from his chair. "A lot," he replied as he walked towards me. I'm lost in how time seems to slow down as he steps closer to me. "There's a lot I want to discuss," he said again, his voice soft in my ear. He pulled me close, his hand cupping my cheek, and I felt like I was hypnotized by the warmth of that touch.My knees suddenly felt like jelly when his lips pressed against mine, and I would have collapsed backwards if his hands hadn't been wrapped tightly around my waist. "What if someone—""No one will know," he cut in and grabbed my lips again."But Richard?" I
"So, Richard does know about us?" I asked as I fiddled with the buttons on his pajamas. We were on River's bed, lying down with his big arm under my head."Something like that," he replied simply, his hand playing with my brown hair."You could have just sent me a text message to see you. Why did you have to get Richard to lie?""It's you who doesn't want people to know about us, isn't it?" he retorted calmly. I recalled where I had said to River about people in my office not needing to know about my relationship with River—which at the time referred to an on-agreement relationship. However, even though Cody (only Cody) knew about my relationship with River back then, he still didn't know that our relationship was different now. "It would make more sense to your colleagues if I brought up the work thing.""You have a point...," I muttered, looking at his face which was displaying a smug look, as if to say "of course I have". Although a little annoyed, but I didn't mind it, after all i
Reminder!December 10, 20xxArt Exhibition at Urban Visions Art Gallery at 8pm. NB: Addy will murder you if you don't show up.I stare at the screen of my phone lying on the makeup table. That's right. This was Addy's special day. I then searched for Addy's contact, intending to send her a text message.(This is a big day for you! Stay upbeat and confident, I hope everything goes smoothly and successfully. I know you can do it! I love you!)Right after I put the phone back on the table, River came out of the walk in closet. He had put on a dark gray suit in which he wore a navy blue shirt and a striped tie. Oh my God, why is he so hot? I then shook my head, trying to come back to reality.River grinned when he caught my expression. "You know, don't you, that you can kiss me anytime if you want?"I hurriedly shifted my gaze to the vanity mirror, pretending to fix my hair with a small grunt. It wasn't until later that I remembered what my brain had wanted me to do since a few seconds ag
"Are you okay if I go now?" I asked Addy, feeling bad. "Hey, it's fine, really, the event will be over soon too." Addy rubbed my arm comfortingly. "You should go. River needs you.” Addy said her last sentence while deliberately glancing at Evan.I sighed, knowing she was right. "Alright, thanks.” As if remembering something, I reached into my bag quickly, took out the car keys and handed them to Addy. "Here, drive my car. I'll text you when I get there." I gave her a quick hug and turned to leave after glancing at Cailin who had not only been silent since earlier, as if she was not part of us, as if she was trying to make herself invisible.I made my way out of the gallery and towards Evan's car, feeling conflicted about our sudden reunion. Wait, I didn't know he had a car. Arrgh.Trying to get out of the awkward situation, I started to ask, "What exactly happened? Is she okay?”"Sharon's condition is stable," Evan replied, his voice tense. "But she needs constant care, and River's
As we arrived at Sharon’s house, I could see River standing outside, his shoulders slumped in worry.When Evan finally stopped the car, River walked over. His face looked very tired.I hurriedly unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car. River was ready to catch me when I walked quickly and threw myself into his arms. I felt my heart skip a beat when I smelled his scent, and the way his arms hugged my waist tightly... oh dear, my stomach felt like it was being tickled."I miss you," I said, intentionally a little loud as Evan passed us and went straight into the house without saying anything.River gently pushed me away, looking me over with concern. "Come on in, you must be cold." He wrapped an arm around my back and led me into the house. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle and understanding.I nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah," I replied, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Just a little overwhelmed, that's all."River nodded, understanding my situation. He saw the pai
Although I tried to close my eyes, drowsiness did not come to me. River's breathing was also irregular, I'm sure she was also still awake despite not making a sound since a few minutes ago. Since then, we've been silent in the darkness, hugging each other and pretending to each other that everything is fine.As the silence lingered between us, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I knew that avoiding the conversation was only delaying the inevitable. I turned my head slightly to look at River, his face illuminated by the dim light coming from the kitchen. His eyes were closed, but I could see the lines on his forehead that I knew were a sign of worry."River..." I began, my voice almost a whisper. "I can't take this anymore, I have to tell you something."River's eyes flicked open, his gaze immediately searching mine. "What is it?" he asked, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it before.I took a deep breath, my chest tightening with each inhale. "The girl I saw with Evan at t
"How about we just get married?" he said very suddenly, and my brain was instantly unable to think.My eyes were wide open. “What?”My heart ached a little when I realized River had just opened his eyes and looked at me. Regardless of how he affected me by what he said earlier, I knew he didn't mean every word of it. River said it very casually, without any burden at all, just like asking if I had eaten or not. And what really bothered me was the fact that he said it without looking at me, he said it while closing his eyes and leaning back on the couch.My heart broke even more when he shook his head. “Forget it,” he said softly.I let out a soft sigh, my eyes searching his for any clues about what he was thinking.He looked at me, a sad smile on his lips, and then he said, ”I just...I don't know.” River looked at me closely, his eyes full of concern. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just... it’s complicated.” He trailed off, lost in thought.As usual, I wanted to try to u
Hi everyone!I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have read Revenge in Silk up to this point! I know that some (or many) of you may think that this book is too short, but I did that on purpose to keep the main plot going. I hope you don't mind and will still love this book. I welcome all your love, criticism, and feedback. So, feel free to write what you think in the comment section! I have one more announcement for you guys, that I am planning to make a book series called Revenge Series. I plan to make it consist of three books with the theme "Revenge" with different characters in each book. However, I will still try to include the interconnectedness of all the characters, even though it will only be a little visible. Once again, I would like to thank you all for your support! You have no idea how much I love you guys! With love, Anne Joyce
Looking in the mirror in the bridal room in my wedding dress, I repeatedly exhaled in nervously. I was a picture of pure joy, my cheeks flushed with a rosy glow and my eyes sparkling with love. I couldn't help but smile at my reflection, knowing that in a few hours, I would stand before River and make a promise to love him for the rest of my life. Addy entered the room, her eyes wide with excitement. "Are you ready?" she asked, helping me fasten the remaining buttons of my dress. I took a deep breath and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be." The anticipation of the ceremony was all-consuming, yet I knew that everything was going to be perfect. As we walked down the aisle, there were sounds of people gasping and rejoicing. My little girl and Danielle (Emma's daughter) walked as the flower girl, I couldn't help but feel warmth in my chest when I remembered how excited Shannon was when she heard that I was going to marry River. She was beaming with joy, her tiny hands holding the bouq
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching until a voice broke through my ear. "Hello, love," he whispered as his arms wrapped around my stomach. "River ...." My voice was a sigh when I felt his lips kissing my neck. "Let's continue where we left off, shall we?" he teased me, his hands reaching into my pajamas. I leaned back into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. The desire that had simmered between us earlier reignited with a fierce intensity, sending sparks flying through my veins. His touch was electric, igniting a fire within me that threatened to consume everything in its path. I turned in his arms, capturing his lips with mine in a passionate kiss that spoke volumes of unspoken promises and longing. As we kissed, the warmth of his hands traveled down to the waistband of my pajamas. He pulled it aside slowly, his fingers tracing the curve of my hip. I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin, sending shivers down my spine.
A few months later, River brought Shannon and me back to Manhattan. Meanwhile, Addy stayed in Chicago. She said she wanted to take her relationship with Shawn more seriously. And after I left with Shannon, Addy invited Shawn to live in the house with her. I gave my half of the rights to the house to Addy for free, more or less as a token of my gratitude for what she had sacrificed for me. I knew it couldn't make up for her help, but at least I felt like my burden was lessened. Shawn was not a typical man, but still he was very kind and considerate. I knew Addy would be safe with him. The thought of my best friend starting a new chapter in her life brought a smile to my face as I watched her wave goodbye to us from the porch. As for River, the past few months had been a whirlwind of emotions and adjustments as he stepped into his role as a father. Watching him bond with Shannon filled my heart with a warmth I hadn't felt in years. It was like witnessing a piece of my past come to lif
His arms enveloped me in a tight embrace, the familiar scent of his cologne bringing back a flood of memories. We clung to each other, seeking solace in the comfort of each other’s presence after all these years apart. The carnival noises faded into the background as we held onto each other, two souls reunited by fate and the passage of time.“Mia, maybe it's too late,” he said softly in my shoulder, “and I'm very sorry for never saying it, but believe me; whether it was then, when you disappeared, until this moment; believe me that I never stopped loving you.”As River's words lingered in the air, a sense of peace washed over me. The tumult of emotions that had consumed me for years seemed to quiet down in that moment. His confession, filled with regret and love, reached deep into my heart, stirring feelings I had long thought buried. I gazed into his eyes, seeing the sincerity and vulnerability laid bare before me.Those words, the words that I wanted to hear three years ago, that R
"River ...." My voice trembled at the mention of that name, a name I still sometimes say in my unconscious.I couldn't think straight, my gaze shifted to the distance, Addy was standing there frozen. Both of her hands were holding the popcorn bucket.And just as my words were about to come out of my mouth, a voice from below broke our focus. "Mommy, why are you crying?"Shannon's innocent question pierced through the tension in the air, grounding me back to reality. I quickly wiped away my tears and crouched down to her eye level, forcing a smile on my face."It's nothing, sweetheart. Mommy's just really happy to see you safe," I replied, my voice quivering slightly as I gathered her in my arms once more.Addy finally snapped out of her daze and came over to where we were, her eyes flitting between Shannon, River, and me with a mixture of confusion and realization."River Lynch," Addy breathed out his name in disbelief, her gaze narrowing as she took in the scene before her. "What are
Hearing Addy's words, for some reason I was reminded of what happened three years ago.**About a week into my stay in Chicago, I was walking home after a cooking class. I saw a stand on the side of the road selling various magazines. There was something in me that drove me to pull up to that stand, maybe I would find something I was looking for. And when I saw a few stacks of magazines with PAMELA written on them with covers I'd never seen before. Without thinking, I bought them right away.When I got home, I couldn't wait to open it, turning the pages one by one, unconsciously shedding tears because of my longing for some of the names written there: Rory Burnett, Emma Freud, Lukas Cheadle, Cody Vargaz, and even my own name that was still written there as Editor of the Feature Section. And there was one more name that I secretly missed, a name printed quite large on one of the special pages: River Lynch and His Beloved Woman! That's what it says.And I opened that special page, eight
"Who's ready to ride the merry-go-round tonight?!" Addy exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she clapped her hands together. I couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy, knowing that she was just as excited as Shannon for our evening plans.The carnival had rolled into town, its vibrant lights illuminating the night sky. We had been waiting for this day for weeks, and now it was finally here.My daughter's eyes widened with excitement as she clapped her hands, her face lighting up at the mention of the merry-go-round. "Me! Me!" she squealed, bouncing up and down in my arms.I chuckled at her eagerness, feeling a warmth in my chest at the sight of her joy. Setting her down gently, I took her hand in mine as we followed Addy towards the carnival grounds.The carnival grounds were alive with the sounds of laughter and music, the air filled with the scent of cotton candy and popcorn. The colorful lights from the rides danced across Shannon's face, highlighti
Three years later …The sound of laughter filled the air as Addy played peek-a-boo with my daughter in the living room. I smiled from the kitchen at the sound of their voices. A week after moving to Chicago, I decided to sign up for a cooking class for the good of the three of us, considering Addy and the kitchen were also eternal enemies. Other than that, my other goal was to find something to do, so that I wouldn't dwell in sadness for too long.As I dried my hands on a towel, I took a moment to look around our new home. It was a cozy, three-bedroom house with a small backyard, perfect for us. I couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia, thinking about the life we had left behind. Yet, I knew that this was the path we had chosen, and I wanted to make sure that it was the best one possible for my daughter.I really had left everything behind. I changed all my contacts that I could reach, changed my job, and left friends behind to start a whole new life. But one thing remained consta