Martina POVI reveled in Marcus’ kiss while my body sought strength from his arms that were wrapped securely around me. “Marcus.”We were panting when we stopped. “I love you.”There were tears in Marcus’s eyes when he said it. “I was so afraid earlier, love. I thought I was going to lose you. I will never forgive myself if that happens.” “Shh. It’s water under the bridge. I am glad to be alive to spend more years with you and the twins.” I told him. Marcus smiled. “And our future children.” He added with a naughty wink. I pinched his nose and hugged him again. It must have been a delayed reaction, but I didn't want to release Marcus anytime soon, but his brothers had other ideas. I am not sure if it was Flint or Rowan who knocked continuously on the roof of our car before they shook it. “F*ck!” Marcus said.He immediately released me to confront his brothers, who escaped to Briana’s house. Marcus got back inside the car, shaking his head. “B*st*rds!” He muttered under
Martina’s POVMarie’s eyes welled with tears. Despite that, she was smiling from ear to ear. “My daughter.” Her voice trembled, too.She spread her arms wide, and I gladly ran to her side to receive her warm hug. When she wrapped her arms around me, my shoulders shook, and I started crying. Finally, I found the warmth of my mother’s love. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you. I was afraid you would reject me, and I worry about you and the kids. I can’t let you go. I knew how much you needed my help at that time.”“I understand,” I told her, wiping the tears streaming down my cheeks. “Thank you.” Marie, or rather, my mother said. We were smiling through our tears when Marcus neared us.No words passed between them. Marcus put a hand on my mother’s shoulder. Mom patted it repeatedly in a comforting way. That was enough between them. A new bond has been formed. Afterward, the doctors came and explained to Marie the rehabilitation and therapy she would be undergoing. “Sometimes, it
Martina POVMy mother's recovery was slow but steady. Still, I could see the determination in her eyes every time she showed up to her therapy. Then, the moment we have been waiting for has arrived. “Your vitals are good. You only need to continue with the therapy for a while.” The doctor said before he signed her discharge slip.“I am going home?” Marie could not hide the excitement on her face. She clasped her hands together, waiting for the doctor’s confirmation. “Yes.” “We are going home,” I told her.“I can’t wait to get home.” She told me. After settling her bill, Marcus and I brought her home. “We’re home,” Marcus announced when the car stopped outside our house. Marcus and I left the car to help Marie out. When we opened the passenger door to disembark her wheelchair from the car’s cabin, Briana’s triplets came running toward us. “Welcome home, Grandma!” They cried simultaneously. Behind them were Briana and Noah with Elijah, Hanna, and Rowan, holding a bubbly Ro
Hello, my loves, It’s the end of Marcus and Martina’s story, and I am feeling a bit down. It pains me to let them go, but their story is already finished in my head. I could not add more. Besides, I promised you to make it a short one. Only 50 chapters, but I exceeded and ended up writing 55 chapters for their story instead. Sorry about that. Anyway, just a little trivia. I originally planned for Marcus to end up with another girl to offer a new flavor to the 3rd installment. But then I realized that would be diverting from the original theme/concept - second chance.And I kept reading you wanted Marcus and Martina's story. I could not let all of you down. So I revised my original concept, explained why Martina was like that, and cleared the path to their happy ever after. Hope I did not disappoint you guys. Now, we are beginning with our fourth installment, Flint Ford's story. As I mentioned in my previous author's notes, I upload 1-2 chapters daily. If I can't upload two
Book Four: Flint’s StoryFlint POV“You don’t have any health problems, Mr. Ford.” the doctor said when I decided to show up for a visit. I looked at him, stupefied. “Maybe you didn’t check enough. Maybe I still need to undergo some tests?” I asked hopefully.I need to clutch on a lifeline. Anything would be ideal except this sense of hopelessness. “I am sorry. We had done all the tests we could. Nothing is wrong with your body. You are perfectly healthy, Mr. Ford.” The doctor told me. Irritation sets in. I need an explanation.“Then, why can’t my d*ck get up?” It has been a constant source of stress for me lately.I am a playboy, but my thing can’t perform, to my utter shame and disbelief. I couldn’t tell this to my brother because they would tease me nonstop. Besides, my brothers are all happily married and have kids of their own. I was the only bachelor left. The last Ford standing. Unhitched.“We checked everything, Mr. Ford, and we do not find anything wrong with your b
Flint POV“Have you been daydreaming, bro? I hope it’s not p*rn.” Marcus said when I pried my eyes open to see him hovering over my desk. The sight of Marcus’ smirk had a dousing effect. My mind became instantly alert. I sat hurriedly in my executive chair and rubbed my palms to my face.“You have a drool on the side of your mouth,” Marcus informed me, grinning from ear to ear. I wiped the sides of my mouth with the back of my index finger, noting the absence of wetness. “Just joking,” Marcus said. He posed like the runway model he used to be and folded his three fingers, leaving the index and the middle finger in a gesture of a peace sign. “B*st*rd! What do you want?” I barked, not amused. “It’s Hanna and Rowan’s wedding today, but you are still here in the office. Didn’t you get home last night?” Marcus asked.“And what were you dreaming about? Was it the same girl?” Marcus eyes me suspiciously. Years ago, I drunkenly admitted to Marcus that I spent a weekend affair with
Flint POVI could feel excitement ricocheting in my body.I am not mistaken.She was my Anna.The flush on her face and the recognition I saw in her eyes are telling.Now, I realized why Brent can’t find her. She used an alias when she introduced herself to me.Anna was not her real name.She goes by another name.An unexplainable thrill coursed through my body at this realization.
Flint POV“Put your seatbelt on,” I ordered when I noticed she was not wearing one. In my haste to get her earlier, I had forgotten about it. Anna did as I told her, but I could feel her seething in anger. I know because her hands were clenched to the sides like she was trying hard to control the impulse to hit me. She was not the only one. I was angry, too.I gripped the steering wheel hard. I had two years' worth of anger ready to burst any moment if I didn’t hold it in check. Someone has to be level-headed at this point. It won’t do us good if we both give in to our impulses. I don’t need to ostracize her. She was here now. That is the most important thing. “Hello, Anna, or should I call you Linda?” Linda or Anna winced when I emphasized the name she had given me two years ago. "I am known around here as Linda Berns." She told me. I smirked. "So, you have given me a fake name. Cool." “What do you want?” The hostility in her voice was unmistakable. I shrugged. “
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