Hanna POV
The next few days, I was in a state of despondency.
Our argument echoes around my head, making me cringe everytime I remember it.
I picked up my phone absent-mindedly, and when the black screen of the monitor greeted me, I swiped it to my contacts, looking for a particular number.
So many times in a day, I tried to call him.
As usual, pride would intervene.
I have checked my inbox countless times, only to be disappointed when I find nothing from him.
No calls, no messages. Nothing.
&nbs
Hanna POVI watched Jeff’s reaction.He did not seem surprised at all by what I revealed, which hinted at something.“You knew? Is that why you were checking up on me?” I asked in a high-pitched voice.It was a good thing Jeff rented a private room for us. We didn’t have to talk in a hush to avoid being heard by other patrons.Jeff looked like he swallowed a lemon. He tried to sidestep my question and veered our topic to something else, but I refused to be swayed. He already piqued my interest.“Jeff, don’t try to avoid the topic. Answer me, please?”My plea must have gotten to him.He looked ill at ease, but then, after a while, he nodded slowly.“I am sorry.” He told me.“I don’t want to embarrass you. I don’t want to look like I was prying, either. But I
Hanna POVWhen I returned to the private room, Jeff stood.“I thought I needed to launch a search for you.” He joked, but his sharp eyes swept over my face, and the unexpected scrutiny embarrassed me.I just had a bawling spree inside the women’s room, but of course, I don’t want to let him know.That would be too shameful.Jeff and I were not that close. I could count on my fingers the times we interacted at the office.I eyed him warily, suddenly feeling suspicious.“Why are you
Rowan POVThey say that if you love someone, you have to set them free.I set her free, but every day is torture.So many times in the past few weeks, I wanted to call her. I kept staring at her number on my contact list, hesitating, unable to press the call button because her words kept ringing in my ear.She told me to back off.I did, but not without Herculean effort.Even when she packed her bags and left my place, my hands itched to call her.My men were waiting for my orders, but I refrained
Rowan POVWithout thinking, I called my assistant.“Can you get me a chartered flight to Vegas? Need it ASAP.”I dropped the call right after and proceeded inside the house to prepare.“Are you going to see her now?” Marcus’s question stopped me in my tracks.In truth, I had forgotten about him because my mind was several hundred miles away.I looked back, surprised.“I thought you left.”Mar
Rowan POVIn the end, I realized what Marcus said made sense.I can not claim Hanna fully until Linda’s case is closed.I can’t have her doubt my words when I finally claim her for myself.With that thought, I grabbed my phone.“Aren’t you doing anything except to harass me?” I rudely asked Marcus when he laid his back on my bed, looking like he had no intention of leaving my room.“Go on. Just call whoever you wish to call. I am not going to bother you. I will just lie here.” He told me, acting nonchalant.
Rowan POV“What do you mean she is gone? Where could she have been? I thought you were watching her day in and day out!” I barked on the phone, frustratedly brushing an errant strand of hair that fell to my face.My glasses had gone askew, but I had forgotten about them.My mind was too focused on what Rico, my head bodyguard, was telling me.I righted the glasses, but they almost broke at the force of my hold.“I don’t know what happened, sir. She called in sick yesterday, and now, I received word from her office that she resigned at Hunters.”
Rowan POVIt had been two months, one week, and three days since Hanna resigned from Hunter Hotel Vegas. Since then, even if I turned Vegas and all the neighboring states over, I can’t find any trace of her. It was like Hanna had disappeared on the face of the earth. The airport and docks manifesto revealed nothing about her, so my conclusion was she fled Vegas by car. “You are all useless!” I cried to Rico after he reported that their efforts to find Hanna had all been fruitless.Then, I threw the empty bottle of whisky to him. Unfortunately, since I already saw double, it did not hit him.Rico, for his part, did not dodge the bottle. I watched in frustration as the bottle landed on the floor with a loud crack and glass shards splashed out in different directions. I grabbed another bottle to hurl it on the floor, but Briana’s voice stopped me. “Rowan, what are you doing?” In my blurry vision, I could see her looking horrified, standing just outside the door to my house. I gri
Rowan POV“You deserve it.” Briana scoffed when she saw me looking problematic.We already combined our resources, calling our friends in the business world to get enough leads on Hanna Walker, but all our efforts were futile.There was no Hanna Walker in their employ.“You cannot find a person who does not want to be found,” Marcus said sagely.I snorted at him. “I was still angry at you. All this time, you came to my house to badger me. You were getting information about Hanna and passing it on to our sister.”Marcus grinned and flashed me a peace sign with his fingers.“It’s your fault. Don’t pass the blame on us. If you came out clean and did not make Hanna overthink, do you think she would leave?” Marcus shot back.“I was on a mission. You know I cannot talk about it. My hands and mouth are tied.” I
Hello, my loves, As usual, when you see this page, it means you have reached the end of another installment of this story. And as usual, I wanted to thank all of you for walking with me up to this point. It was a marvelous journey, reading through all your comments, requests, and suggestions. After the high Flint’s story gave me, I didn’t realize that you would continue to receive Brent’s story with enthusiasm, but you did. So, thank you all. I am sorry, but I cannot accommodate all your requests because I have to align them to how the story should flow. I got a request for a Riley-Krizzie story, but I already told you earlier that Charles’ story will be the last installment of this book. I can not add more because I realized I have been writing non-stop since December 2023. I needed to take a breather, too.I hope you understand. Plotting a story is easy, but thinking of the scenes, and the dialogues and making all the chapters come up seamlessly was what makes it a bit diff
Beth POVIn the next few months, Brent and I quickly settled into married life.It was not always a bed of roses because he was stubborn, and so was I. We had arguments, but it was not something we resolved later.Besides, Krizzie always reminded us that life with each other may be crazy but it was wonderful.Brent worked at the hospital, overseeing its daily management and operations. At the same time, I remained in the ward, working as a NICU nurse.Most of the time, we sneak out during my break to have cuddles in his office. Sometimes, it gets hot because my husband can't get his hands off me, but that was alright. I love it. "Beth, you are looking pale. Are you alright?" One of the staff nurses asked. I just got back from a bathroom break because I feel nauseated. My stomach churned unexpectedly, and I had to rush to the bathroom to vomit. I still don’t feel fine. "I must have eaten something that upset my stomach," I told her and resumed working. I picked up the tray of m
Brent POVSomeone cleared his throat, and not long after, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Dude, that is too much public display of affection.” It was Flint, the Prince consort of Arkadia, with his wife, the Queen. There was a hush in the hospital lobby, and I knew exactly how everyone felt right that moment. There was this reverence as they eyed the royal couple. I felt it, too, even though they are my friends.It also did not help that the rest of my friends trickled in. Noah and his wife Briana came in, followed by Rowan and Hanna. Then Charles and Jenna came next. Last to appear was Marcus and his wife Martina. This time, the people in the lobby began to get noisy. They gushed over Marcus, who looked like he stepped out of the page of a magazine cover. I could not deny it. The Fords and Hunters gathered so much attention. It was a rare event to see them all together in one setting.The who’s who of Redwood City gathered in one place, making it hard for everyone not to react
Beth POVThe romantic date set the tone for the rest of our one-week leave until it was time to return to our real lives.“Goodbye, baby!” Brent called out to Krizzie’s departing figure while we watched her walk toward her building. We waited and watched until we saw her figure disappear when she entered her classroom. “She is growing.” I can’t help but be teary-eyed.Last night, Krizzie surprised us when she decided to sleep on her own bed. Brent and I stared at each other when she kissed us both goodnight and then returned to her room. “Krizzie?” I called her, feeling weirded out. “What Mommy?” She walked back to the bed where I sat. “Aren’t you going to sleep with us?” A frown marred my face when I asked.I patted the middle of the bed, urging her to climb in, but Krizzie only shook her head and smiled at me. “The Hunter triplets said I am old enough to be sleeping with Mommy and Daddy. They don’t.” She informed me. I nodded, feeling a little stuffy inside. I knew that it
Brent POVJust like what Noah said the night before, they were not at the hotel to see us off, but he gave instructions to his people to assist us. We got ready very early because Krizzie had classes. “Are you free today?” I asked Beth after we sent Krizzie to school. “You were the one who talked to my supervisor about taking a leave. How long did you apply for my leave?”“A week. You still have two more days of rest. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. I want to spend more time catching up. What do you think?” I wiggled my brows at her, grinning mischievously. Beth slapped my chest.“I don’t like that look, Brent. I want to rest.” She warned me. She looked so d*rn cute that I stepped forward, arms spread to encircle her in my arms, and hugged her tight. Beth struggled in my arms. “Brent, people are staring.” She warned me, but I don’t care. I am too happy to care about what other people would think.“Let them.” I urged her and held her in my arms for a while longer. When I got
Brent POVKrizzie got back into our room right after, halting our talks. She knocked repeatedly on the door, prodding me to rise to my feet and open the door for her. Behind Krizzie, I saw Noah. “Thank you, Uncle Noah.” She said, turning her back on me to wave at Noah, who patted Krizzie’s head before meeting my fist for a bump. “Will you be alright here?” He checked on me, and I nodded. “Okay then. I will go ahead.” He told me.“Thanks, man! We will be checking out tomorrow morning.” I informed him while looking at the bed, where I saw Krizzie climbing in and snuggling with Beth. “Okay. I will inform the concierge in case we are not here. We are going home tonight.” Noah informed me before sauntering away. I went back to my family to join them in bed. Krizzie was asking Beth where we had been, and Beth was showing her pictures of us in the resort. “You went to the beach?” Krizzie exclaimed.I could see the dismay on her face. Beth hugged her. “We went on our honeymoon.
Beth POVI looked down from the chopper that was going to bring us back to Redwood toward the beach resort that served as our honeymoon getaway for three days and two nights and felt all the good things filling my heart. Without hesitation, I gave the property a little wave as we embarked on the journey back home. “Are you tired?” Brent asked when I leaned back on my seat and closed my eyes. I smiled naughtily. “Who wouldn’t? You did not give me a rest, Mr. Anderson.”The reprimand had no sting which was what I intended.It was the truth anyway. Brent grinned. “Did I wear you out, Mrs. Anderson?” He asked softly, but I could see the warmth in his eyes.I lifted my hand to flick his nose playfully. “I love you, Brent. Thank you for not giving up on me.” I told him.It was the truth. If Brent gave up on me, I think that would be a point of no return for the two of us. If he did not fight for us, I don't know if I would have the strength to stay and be with him. Brent did all t
Brent POV“Welcome to paradise,” I murmured in Beth's ears when the chopper drew close to the beachfront property that Rowan gifted us and prepared for landing.I held Beth close and motioned for her to look out the window so she could see what I meant. Her involuntary gasp was the response I was expecting and much more. "This is so beautiful Brent." She told me, eyes shining bright in awe. I nodded. "Indeed. The most beautiful." I agreed. Though I was not referring to our honeymoon getaway but to the woman before me. Beth, without a doubt, is the most beautiful woman my eyes have ever laid on, I decided. At the same time, I took my fill of her beauty, most especially her expressive eyes. “Your friends are wonderful.” She said evasively. She pulled her gaze away from me to avoid meeting my hot gaze, but I knew exactly what she was feeling. Her body became rigid next to me, and I smiled. Beth was self-conscious about the attention I was giving her. I took pity on her and gav
Beth POV“Ouch!” Brent grumbled when I nudged him hard on the ribs.He turned while rubbing his side to meet my glare. “Who told you to make bets on me?” I sounded stern.Brent looked nervous, and I smiled inwardly at the worry that registered on his face. “He was drunk, frustrated, and full of remorse that night, Beth. It was the time he learned about you dating that doctor. Brent felt threatened and felt cowardly. We need to do that to spur him on.” I did not realize Noah had been listening to our conversation. I did not hear his approach until he butted in to explain Brent’s side. Doubts covered my features as I stared at Brent to confirm. “Who won?” “I did!” Brent replied arrogantly. I pursed my lips. “How much did you win?” I asked, curious.“Apart from the beachfront property, close to ten million.” My eyes widened in shock. “Ten million for a bet? Wow!” My eyes rounded.“It started as a dare, Beth. But Brent did not start it. We did. We had hoped that it would bec