Noah POVHer pronouncements put a smile on my face. If this is the payback for Britney’s slap. Then, I am all in. “And why are you smiling?” Briana said irritably upon noticing my facial expression.The smile widened into a grin, but I clamped it with my lips. It had been too late to backtrack now. I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak. “Nothing, sweetheart. I am just happy.Briana snorted. “You are one weird guy.” She told me.I had to agree with her on that. Anyone in my shoes would have acted differently, but Briana’s concern and the way she showed it was enough to put a smile on my face. “I have the weirdest woman, too.” I agreed.She harrumphed and ended the call on me. I looked at the black screen of my phone and shook my head. The trip back to the office was uneventful. When we reached the hotel, I found out some reporters were still milling around, but it was generally peaceful. When they saw me, they ran toward me for an ambush interview, but I declined to
Noah POVThat afternoon, I came face to face with Britney again.This time, she was so livid. She did not care about her image. Gone was the perfect woman who graced the runway. Her hair is a mess, and her make-up is a mess, too.There were no cameras around since I requested a private hearing.Britney grabbed at the opportunity to lash out at me.“You are suing me for ten million dollars in damages for oral defamation?” Britney cried in disbelief when she heard the charges my team submitted in court.Her eyes looked like they were going out of their sockets in rage. She was fuming mad. Her face was contorted in anger as she eyed me in contempt.“Ms. White, compensatory damages comprising general damages, special damages, and aggravated damages are filed against you by the plaintiff, Mr. Noah Hunter, which includes injury to reputation, injury to feelings, injury to health, and pecuniary loss.” The judge explained.But Britney did not take it well. She did not even acknowledge that i
Briana POV“Can you please stop doing that?”Marcus irritably told me when he saw me pacing the floor of my room.He just got back from an appointment outside of the office. I am just not sure if the appointment concerns business or it concerns his wife, Martina.I heard that he was still trying to find her.“How did you get in?” I asked, stopping.“I knocked, but your mind seemed elsewhere. What is your problem?”“I am worried. I can’t sit still.” I told my brother.He walked toward me and tapped me on the nose.“Don’t worry. It is in the wrap. Nothing bad is going to happen to Noah and your family.”I sighed. &ldquo
Briana POV“Where is Daddy?” Riley asked when he noticed that I was alone fetching them. Disappointment filled my son’s eyes.“Daddy still has something to do at the hotel.” Brixx’s eyes lit up when I mentioned the hotel, and I groaned in my head, having a clue about what was going to happen next. “Can we go see Daddy?” Brixx asked in his puppy-dog look.“I am hungry, mommy,” Riley complained. “I want to eat at Daddy’s restaurant.” I almost laughed at Riley’s ploy. It was like hitting two birds with one stone. He wanted to see his daddy and eat at his favorite restaurant. The revolving restaurant has become the triplets’ favorite eating place. The novelty of eating with the sky and clouds has not worn off yet. “Do you also want to see your daddy?” I asked Mason.Among my children, he speaks less, but he is the most intuitive and gentle. Mason nodded enthusiastically. His eyes lit up when I mentioned this. “Can we, Mommy?” “Of course.” I nodded.The bodyguards helped me st
Briana POVWe went to the revolving restaurant and Riley immediately spotted Linda.“Linda. How have you been? Did my Uncle Rowan call you?” He inquired.Riley never gave up matchmaking the two. He likes Linda to be a part of our family.Linda smiled and shook her head.“I think your uncle likes someone else.” She admitted shyly.Riley frowned. “But he never introduced anyone to us. Are you sure he likes someone else?” Riley insisted.Linda nodded bef
Briana “Briana, be careful. Don’t hurry.” Noah called out when I walked ahead of him and the triplets. “We are running late,” I told him, turning my head to my back so I could see them, but it only made Noah mad. “Don’t look back. Look straight ahead. You might trip yourself or something.” He reminded me.His hands were busy holding the triplets, and he was keeping his steps slow to match theirs. “I am fine. Don’t worry.” I called out to him and laughed.When I turned around, I accidentally collided with someone. “Uhm. Excuse me.” The woman said before she hurriedly walked away. I stopped and followed the woman’s movement with my eyes. I did not catch a glimpse of her face, but her back looked familiar. “Isn’t that Hanna?” I asked my husband when he and the kids caught up to me. Noah turned around to follow the direction my eyes had taken. “It is.” He confirmed before nudging me to move forward. “Didn’t she recognize me?” I asked, baffled.Hanna and I had lost contact for
Britney’s POV“Britney White, you have a visitor.” I was startled when the jail warden called out my name. “For me?” I wanted to confirm. The warden nodded, and a smile curved my lips. Instantly, I got up from bed—a hopeful expression on my face. A smile worked its way through my lips. I knew it. Noah still has a soft spot for me. He cannot let me suffer for long. Anticipation coursed through every pore of my being as I tried to smooth my hair. I don’t have a mirror because mirrors are on the list of restricted items in the Redwood City prison. Still, I can’t just appear in front of Noah shabbily. I also ran my hands to my dress and groaned at the creases. But that will have to do. I waited until the warden unlocked my cell and I got out. While following him out of the mazes of corridors, passing by inmates in their cells, I could not help but imagine how I would react when we finally met face to face. Will Noah hug me? Will he beg me to take him back? I am sure he h
Briana POV“Sweetheart, I am here,” Noah informed me when I answered his call. He fetched the children from school without me. “How are you?” “I am fine.” “No more headaches?” He asked, sounding worried. I shook my head, though Noah wouldn’t see me before I responded to his question. “Just a little.” “Go home and rest.” He advised. I rose from my chair, arranged the papers on my desk in a neat file, and prepared to leave. “I am going home,” I informed him. “Have you seen the triplets?” “Not yet, but they will be here soon.” He said when I heard what sounded like the school bell on his end. Noah and I ended our call. I got out of my office, but before I left, I stopped by Belle’s desk.“Have you seen Marcus today?” Belle shook her head. “He has not reported since Monday.” She told me. I shook my head. My brother has been going on a downward spiral since Martina left him. He always locks himself at home for days. He rarely showed up at the hotel, and it bothers me.
Flint POV“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I admitted to Brent while drinking vodka in a private room inside the Blue Canyon, a country club in Redwood where we both enjoyed VIP memberships.“Why don’t you ask her? Instead of overthinking and suspecting your brother, go to your wife and seek the answers to all the questions crowding your head.”“I really love talking to you, Brent. You are like a cold bath - scary but necessary.” I told him bluntly.Brent chuckled.“You needed it.”I clapped Brent on the back.“Thanks.”“Let’s go. It’s two in the morning, and the manager had been giving us deadly looks already. I think this club is closing for the day.”After Brent settled the bill, we rose from our seats and ambled back to his car.I left my c
Briana POVAfter the police officers took my three brothers, I got back on my desk and sat morosely there.“Where are your brothers? I thought you had an emergency meeting?” Noah asked, disrupting my solitude.I looked at him sharply. “They were at the police station.”Noah opened the door wider and walked in.He loosened his tie and slumped on the couch. He looked tired, but he was looking at me with love in his eyes.It had been four years since I took a chance on him, and his love never wavered. In truth, it had intensified through the years.
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.