Rowan POVI looked at my three brothers’ grinning faces, and my body turned cold at the way they were grilling me.Finally, Charles intervened, making me heave a huge sigh of relief when he shifted the topic back to Noah’s amnesia.Charles brought us back to the purpose of this meeting.“If he has amnesia, why didn’t the media catch up on what had happened? He is a known figure. I am sure someone must have gotten wind of it.”That got all of us thinking.“He has a company to run. Maybe he thought it would be in the best interest of Hunter Enterprises.”Marcus had a point.“Why did he keep it a secret from Briana? I am sure if Briana knew about it, he wouldn’t have a hard time winning her back, and they could concentrate on doing what’s best for their family.”Flint made another point, which I think could be best answered by Noah Hunter himself.Marcus shrugged. “Beats me.”“Why not talk to him?” I suggested.“Okay. Ask Hanna to call him for a meeting.” Charles declared.It seemed to s
Briana POVI left my brothers in the study because they were drinking, and I didn’t want to join them.“How are the kids?” I asked Noah when I saw him emerge from the triplets’ room.“They’re fine. Don’t worry.” He assured me before pulling me for a hug.I let him.Noah does not want to let me go. I feel the same way.This night was unforgettable.After the unplanned trip to the cemetery to visit the grave of his dead parents, I felt as if a warm hand touched my heart.It had been years since I saw their graveyard, not because I didn’t want to see them, but because I felt guilty every time. I failed them.All they wanted was the best for their son, but when Noah and I divorced, I didn’t feel like the best person there was.I felt like a failure.Tonight, Noah talked to his parents about us, the triplets, and his plans for the future.If I still doubted him before we visited her parents’ grave, now I only felt gratitude.“I love Briana, Mom, Dad. I will take care of her and our three
Briana POVPer usual, Noah drowned me with his kisses.He sucked my lower lip like he could not get enough of me.I responded with equal ferocity.Noah pulled me closer to his body. He rubbed his palms up and down my back while he continued to assault my lips with his kisses.I heard a moan and very nearly died in shame when I heard the sound of someone clearing his throat.Noah pulled back his face, but his arms hung loosely on my waist.“The room was just at your back. Why don’t you take it there?” Charles suggested, looking embarrassed.My face grew warm as I glared at my brother.“Woah! Did we miss something?” Flint asked flippantly.He screeched to a stop, staring at Charles, and then at me.“You don’t want to know,” Charles replied before walking along the hallway toward the room he shared with his wife, Jenna.Marcus had this knowing look on his face that added to my growing embarrassment.Then, Rowan passed by.He snagged my attention when he did not continue to his room but
Briana POVWith four faces staring at me expectantly, I could not decide.It made sense. It was practical, but it was sudden.There are things we need to settle yet.The indecision made me falter.I looked at the expectant faces of Noah and the triplets and felt like I wanted the floor to swallow me.“It’s what I wanted, too.” I started.Noah’s smile widened, and the children raised their hands in glee, along with their shouts of hurray.I don’t want to ruin their happiness, but I can’t lead them on. As early as now, I needed to set things straight to avoid misunderstandings in the future.“But not now,” I added, watching as the good spirits of the four people around me slowly sank.The rejoicing went down, and four pairs of eyes shot me a look of disappointment.I felt uneasy that I had to explain.“We still have so many things to settle, Noah. We can’t just move in together without fixing those things.”I wanted to blame him. His question caught me off-guard. We just agreed to take
Noah POVBriana avoided my gaze when I said that. Maybe because she still has yet to believe me. Though it dampened my spirit a little, it made me resolve to prove to her that I was here for the long haul. The drive to the restaurant where Briana was supposed to meet Luke was silent. But that is alright. At least I got my way. At first, Briana rebuffed my effort to drive her to their meeting place. "I have my own car. I can manage." She told me when I opened the passenger door to my car for her."I told you I wanted to be there." There was no brooking my tone. “Are we really going to fight about this?” She asked crossly, but I maintained my cool.“Not if you will let me have my way.” Then, I winked at her.For a moment, Briana looked like she would like to argue with me, but then I saw a ghost of a smile on her face, which she quickly masked by faking a cough.“Okay. Have it your way.”Briana sighed exasperatedly before getting in.I whistled after shutting the door. Briana's co
Noah POVBriana looked stricken when I pulled her to my side so I could protectively wrap an arm around her. “Are you alright?” I asked in concern.I tilted her face up, seeing her eyes growing wide as she took in Luke Bennett’s bloodied face.He lay limply on the floor while the waiter and other customers attended to him.“Briana?” I asked, panicking when she did not respond.I shook her body. It was then that she got back to her senses.“I am fine.” She said with a slight tremor in her voice.I don't know what Luke said earlier, but whatever it is, it undeniably left her shaken.Without waiting for Luke Bennett to recover, I gently guided Briana out of the restaurant and back to our car.“It’s alright. He is not going to hurt you anymore.” I said, referring to Bennett.I drove away quickly and stopped at the nearest convenience store.
BrianaI lifted a hand to pound on his chest when he teased me like that, but Noah caught my hand and very suavely pulled it to his lips to kiss the knuckles warmly.He stared into my eyes, and it brought butterflies to my stomach when he said that.“I am not a man without you.” That brought tears to my eyes.I often thought that part of the reason why he so desperately wanted me back was because of the children. Still, as he gazed into my eyes, I could feel his love overflowing.My old Noah is back. I could feel it through the way he stared at me.So when he brought me to his chest to wrap his arms around me, I returned his embrace.We sat like that for a long time before Noah let me go. Then, his arm reached for the backseat. It looked like he was searching for something, and when his hand reappeared, he was now holding a single-stem rose.“Where did you get that?”My eyes sparkled in delight as I took the rose from him.“I saw an old lady selling in the parking lot. I needed someth
Briana POV“The Bennetts are stirring trouble for the Fords. “ I told Noah after ending the call with Marcus.“You looked worried. Was it because of breaking the marriage-merger agreement?” He asked, grabbing my hand and placing it on his chest.The steady rise of his chest comforted me, allowing me to think.“Yes. The Bennetts are warning the business community against us. They said that as businessmen, we shouldn’t back out on our words.”“Did you sign any contract with the Bennetts?” Noah asked, frowning.“Not yet. Marcus had exploratory talks with Luke before we met and agreed to date.”“It’s alright. Don’t worry too much.” Noah must have sensed how this new development had affected me, so he tried to comfort me, taking me into his arms.I snuggled close to him, and we sat there for a while like that.Then, Noah’s phone started ringing nonstop.He did not want to answer the call at first because he did not want to leave my side, but I persuaded him.“Answer it.”Reluctantly, he let
Flint POVI could not believe it.Brinaa had us arrested! The f*ck!After the police handcuffed the three of us, Briana took our phones.“Why are you confiscating our phones? I need that!” Marcus cried.Between the three of us, he was the most uncooperative and talkative.Briana ignored him. “You will get your phones later. For now, I am going to keep it.” She promised before the police officers led us out of her study.Downstairs, I saw the household staff gathered in
Flint POVRowan’s question, asking me about fathering Anna’s baby, hangs in the air.It wrapped around us like an elephant in the room.I took in my brothers’ look, feeling like the odd man out.Can’t I be man enough to take on my responsibility? Can I not be trusted to care for my own family?The dam inside me burst, and I lashed out at my brother, Rowan.“Yes, so don’t cross my line and stop meddling in my wife’s life. They don’t need you.”Rowan stared m
Flint POV“I am not talking to you, Flint. You embarrassed me in front of Linda, and that was unforgivable.”I winced, feeling guilty.In my eagerness to defend my family, I had forgotten that Briana was never an enemy.She was my sister.“I am sorry.”“I am just looking out for you. Haven’t you forgotten how hard women tried to trap you into marriage, not because they loved you but because they loved what you represented?” She lashed out at me.I chuckled. &ldqu
Anna/Linda POV“Hey, sis! ” Flint walked toward his sister with a wriggling Penelope in his arms.When he reached her, he stooped to kiss her cheeks.Penelope saw what he did and did the same. She kissed Briana’s cheek.Briana was left stunned, especially when Penelope showed her natural cuteness.She bounced in Flint’s arms, raising her hands to clap."Yay! Kwin ver gud!" Penelope said in a stilted manner.On the other hand, Flint looked like he was ready to burst into pride. He puffed
Anna/Linda POVWe spent three days secluded in the exclusive villa Flint rented for us. It was nothing short of idyllic. Penelope had a wonderful time. “Dad-dy!” She squealed and jumped on her little feet to evade the coming waves. “Bubbles!” She would cry in gibberish, pointing at the sea foam that crowded her feet and ankles. Then she would run to Flint, and Flint would swoop down to capture her and put her to dry sand. Then, she would stroll toward the waves again, repeating the same actions until Flint rescues her.“You are silent,” Flint said when he deposited Penelope beside me. I was sitting on the sand with my legs stretched out in front of me. He quickly worked on the sand, digging with his hands and throwing them to cover my legs. It attracted Penelope, and she mimicked her father. She took clumps of sand in her hands and threw them to my legs. “You need a spade, my little Queen,” Flint said.He looked around our surroundings before his eyes focused on something no
Flint POVAfter dinner, I was excited to put Penelope to sleep, but to my chagrin, she wouldn’t sleep however hard I coaxed her.She was too busy playing with the rose petals. She kept stepping on them while she walked around our rented villa.“Maybe she loved the downy feel of the rose petals on her soles.” Anna offered a likely explanation for our daughter’s seeming propensity for the flowers.She even pulled her shoes off before she jumped, skipped, and kicked on the petals covering the floor.I dropped my head playfully in response, but inside, I was dying for Penelope to lay her head on the bed so t
Flint POVI saw a myriad of emotions playing on Anna’s face and it made me want to crush her to my chest to offer assurance. I am a Ford.I have everything, but when it comes to Anna, I felt lacking as a man. Of course, it was different with our daughter.Would it be selfish of me if I wanted to be the only man for her, not just the father of her daughter? I wanted to be the best man for them both. “One day, I will make you fall in love with me,” I told her and saw her taken aback. I wanted to add that I will erase every feeling she has for my brother.I will be the only man she would need. The wedding ended. “Congratulations.” The priest held out his hand to send us his best wishes. He even patted Penelope’s head, making her giggle. “You have a lovely daughter.” He told us.Anna and I exchanged a look. She smiled, feeling proud of our daughter. I was, too. We did not linger. Our group left the church and ended up in the parking lot, where we went in separate directions.
Anna/Linda POVIt was not a grand wedding.The only attendees to our wedding were Flint, Penelope, and me.A man I did not know rose from the back pew to approach us."Goldstone!" Flint said in greeting when the man neared us.They shook hands while my eyes surveyed the church.A red carpet was laid in the center aisle decked with flowers. The church was prepped for a simple and solemn wedding."This is Anna, my soon-to-be wife. My Queen, I want you to meet Goldstone, our family's magician. He solv
Anna/Linda POVThe whole ride to Flint’s home, Penelope clung to her father.It was not a problem since Flint did not want to let her go either. He would point out the other cars outside the window, and Penelope would watch them race past us. Sometimes, he would make faces at her, and she would try to mimic them.They also played peek-a-boo. From time to time, Flint would cover his face with his palm, and Penelope would pull up or down the hand that blocked his face from her sight. And when she exposed his face, Flint would cry.“Peek-a-boo!” “Boo!” Penelope would shout before she broke into giggles. From time to time, the father-daughter tandem would include me in their play. When Flint noticed I was looking outside the window, he would pull me close to him and our daughter. One time, he wrapped an arm around my waist while his other hand supported Penelope, who bounced on his lap, enjoying the ride. It was a rare treat for Penelope.What makes this moment even more special