Hanna POVAwkward. That is how I felt when I woke up nestled protectively in Rowan’s arms.A smile laced my face when I realized I liked the feeling of being held like this. Not by just any man, but Rowan Ford whom I like very much.Yes, I am finally admitting it. I do like Rowan.I probably love him, I said to myself while I ran my eyes over his sleeping face.He grunted.The sound alerted me and made me scramble to look elsewhere. My eyes landed on the bedside clock.For a while, I stared at it blankly, but when I realized what time it was, urgency filled me.I am going to be so late!In panic, I sat up when I realized it was past my waking hour. I can't afford to be late. Not only because I was new to the branch. I can't have Hailey throw shade on me now that I am aware she covets my job.In my rush, I had forgotten the man sleepi
Hanna POV“I am so late.” I cried, frantic as I got dressed.Rowan, on the other hand, looks chill. He sat on my bed with a fluffy towel wrapped around his waist.His eyes followed my movement, and it unnerved me. I didn’t have anyone watching me while I got dressed in the past.“Rowan! Go back to your room. I am in a hurry, remember? I am a mere member of the working class. I can’t be late.” I whined.Rowan chuckled. “One night, and you are becoming bossy with me. I wonder what will happen after three months.” He said, sounding amused, but it made me falter.
Hanna POVI ditched my intention to leave after hearing my secretary confront Hailey.This should have been my fight, not hers.I turned around, saw Hailey smirking, and felt anger boiling inside me.She initiated this to provoke me.“Sara.” I gently shoved Sara, and I came face to face with Hailey.“I thought you were a coward.” She spat.I smirked and put my hands on my hips for the confrontation. This time, I won’t be letting Hailey get her way.
Hanna POVMy face contorted.“Why do you keep asking me about him?” I replied snarkily, vexed that I had to explain everything.“Let’s go,” Rowan said and pulled at my hand to drag me outside,I pulled my hand back, and he looked back inquiringly.“I still have a meeting at the restaurant. You may go ahead.” I told him, sounding bored because my mind was already in the meeting I was about to attend.Rowan ignored my suggestion for him to go home.Instead, he foll
Hanna POVRowan looked so innocently at me that I almost thought he was the adult version of Riley, Briana’s eldest son. “What did I do?” Rowan asked, nonplussed. “You humiliated me in front of Mr. Branch. He is a client.” I bellowed at him. Rowan snorted. “Did I?” Those two words made me clench my hands into fists, especially when he shrugged in response."I am not playing games with you b*stard!" I lashed out. Rowan's irises dilated. "And I am?" He shot back. When I did not respond, Rowan went to explain. “I am only staking my claim. If you are embarrassed, that is not my problem anymore.” “Well, thank you very much!” I snapped and marched out of the restaurant with Rowan tailing after me. I looked like a bull, ready to charge anyone who was going to block my way.People steered clear of me, but I could sense they were whispering behind my back, and it had everything to do with Rowan. This fact aggravated my anger. I stomped to the car, snubbing the porter when he wa
Hanna POv“Are you leaving?” Rowan eyed me from the bed.I blushed when I saw his naked body on display.He did not even try to cover himself and smirked when he noticed that my roving eyes ran over his length.He was like a Greek god.My mouth watered at the delicious sight of him, and I clamped my legs as lust assaulted my senses.“I’ll see you later,” I told him, trying hard not to stammer for fear of revealing myself to Rowan.“Okay.” He agreed and laid
Hanna POVRowan was busy explaining his vision for the hotel in front of his enraptured crowd.He laid out his plans for the hotel and what he expects from us.I noticed that he dressed differently today.He had discarded his relaxed air and style to take on a more formal look. Coupled with his signature gold-framed glasses, this added to his magnetic appeal.A buzz started in the back until one employee had the gall to ask about his personal status.“Are you taken, Mr. CEO?”Her question mad
Hanna POVWhen I thought he could be redeemable in my eyes, Rowan would do and say things that would shatter that illusion, and we were back to square one.Ugh! I hate that guy, one part of my brain shouted. Yeah, but you like him, another part of my brain insisted. I feel like this push-and-pull thing with Rowan is making me crazy. Sometimes, he was sweet, which led me to believe he cared about me. And there are also times when his arrogance made me want to strangle him. When we got home, I ran to my room with Rowan on my heels. “Easy.” He said when he cornered me at the foot of the stairs. I had nowhere to go when he pressed me against the wall. “Rowan.” I squeaked, nerves suddenly frazzled when I saw desire lurking in his eyes. Excitement washed over me when he sealed my lips with a kiss. I wanted to put up a fight, but as usual, my body betrayed me. It knows its master, and it was not me. Involuntarily, I moaned and snaked my arms around his neck. Rowan seemed to like
Speechless! This word best describes what I was feeling right now. Do you know that you were amazing readers? Yes, you who stayed with me until this page. When I first started writing this story, I had so many trepidations. I did not think I would be able to pull this through. First, it has a little similarity to my previous novel, Billionaire Ex Wants Me Back, but my editor believed so much in my draft that she encouraged me to consider doing this. (My heartfelt thanks to Lyra Pinter, who had been a constant source of support.)My feeling of uncertainty magnified when I received so many attacks when the story was first published. Too many detractors lashed out at my characters that I had a hard time concentrating.I know what I wanted to do, but the first people who were vocal about the story did not give me enough encouragement. They did not give my characters a chance to redeem themselves as the story progresses. Fear grips me everytime I face the blank screen of my computer
Briana’s POVThe soul always knows how to heal itself. I had often heard that phrase before but it was never more gratingly obvious til now. After I volunteered to be Charles and Jenna’s surrogate, I had not counted on the pain the act would invariably inflict on me. At the start, it was all too easy. For 40 weeks, I would be carrying their baby in my womb, and that was it. Jenna and Charles will have that baby they desperately wanted. Of course, Noah and I submitted to counseling before I did this, but I never expected that when the time came that I had to turn over baby Amira to her parents, it would hit me so hard. I had not counted on how my self-sacrifice would backfire on me. It hurts so much. I was so heartbroken when I realized that Amira would no longer be a part of my life. Noah took me to several sessions of counseling, and with his support, I was able to get past the hurt and accept that Amira was not mine.The rest of the family helped. My brothers hovered over me
Hello my loves, Jenna and Charles’ story was one of the most painful stories I had written so far. It was because I had to dig up long-forgotten events in my life.But I had to do it for you to be able to understand the motives behind Jenna and Charles’ actions and the pain they invariably inflicted on each other. Jenna and Charles were both non confrontational. They keep things in stride and hope for the best, but sometimes even with the best intentions, our pain could not lay hidden for too long. It needed to be addressed and voiced out, not because you wanted to lash out at your partner or give them the same pain they were giving you.Sometimes, our silence is our cry for help. Or it was a way to protect ourselves. We retreated into the inner recesses of our soul to find solace and comfort because the people we expected to comfort and provide solace for us could not hear our cry for help.But all’s well that ends well. Am glad for those people who had requested me to do a story
Charles POVOne year later…I was standing behind the french windows of the room I was occupying at the Rosewood Hotel, eyes looking outside toward my wife.This past year was a crazy one.Just as Briana predicted, Jenna and I barely had time for ourselves. The kids were growing, and they were beautiful to watch.Jenna’s laugh made its way to where I was.As I watched Jenna play with our children, I could not help comparing her to a rose in bloom.I could not help feeling proud of the changes in her.&nb
Charles POVWe placed our babies in a customized baby carrier that could fit the four of them, and Jenna and I walked out of the suite that had been our temporary home for the past month.At the lobby, we looked like we were on a parade with our nannies in tow and bodyguards, but that’s a small price to pay for the security and safety of my family.“Jenna! Charles!” Beth called out to us.We stopped when we neared her.“Where are your kids?” I asked after she and Jenna hugged each other.I learned this past month that Beth chose to be a stay-at-home m
Charles POVThe next day, our other two babies were born one after the other.Jenna and I were also there to witness everything and become part of our children’s birth.Jenna’s eyes were puffy when she held our two other newborns in her arms. She had been crying nonstop since yesterday because it still had not sunk in that she was a mom of four babies.When we visited Briana, she and Jenna had a long talk.Briana was smiling, but I could see that she was at a loss when it was time to take the baby away from her.I realized that this ordeal put a lot of strain on
Charles POVThe phone in the delivery room rang, and a nurse went to answer it.“Dr. Martin, it’s delivery room 2.” She said from across the room, allowing us to hear.Dr. Martin went to answer it. Her face was serious when she placed the phone back in its cradle.Then, she turned her head back to her medical team.“Are you still up for another delivery?” She asked her team.Their high spirits rubbed off on Jenna and me. We were smiling when they shouted, of course.
Charles POVIt was a crazy day.We were having a meeting when I heard that Briana had been rushed to the hospital.“Brie is having our baby,” I told my brothers and friend after I dropped the call.It was Jenna. She, Noah, and Biana were already in the hospital because Briana's water broke.My face contorted as emotions I could not name assailed.A mix of fear, excitement, nervousness, worry, and happiness barraged me.Briana, my baby sister, was going to deliver my and Jenna's baby right now. 
Jenna POVThe days quickly passed by.Though we did not talk about it, it seemed as if Charles and I were in tacit agreement to take things slow concerning our careers and concentrate more on each other.We go out of town and do things we had never done before as a couple.It was marvelous.“It’s good that you spend more time with each other because I tell you, once the four babies arrive, you won’t get even a wink of sleep,” Briana told me when I came to her house that afternoon to catch up and to check on her.It’s the baby’s