Anna/Linda POV
“What a clever girl!”
My eyes lit up when I heard her talk, not in the usual garbled English like most kids her age.
To my delight, I nuzzled her cheek and kissed her neck.
Penelope giggled.
“Clever!” She said, mimicking my words before puckered her lips for a kiss.
I eagerly dropped a quick kiss on her lips and hugged her to my chest.
“Ah! Tight!’ Penelope protested and pushed at my chest.
Anna/Linda POV“F-flint!” I stammered when his name rolled out my lips.I did not expect that he would follow me home.“How?”I clutched a hand to my chest when it started to beat erratically in nervousness.“I have your car. It’s easy to find the registered address after that. But imagine my surprise with what I found out. My happily married brother owns the deed to your car and this apartment.”Flint’s voice hardened, and his eyes were like ice when he pierced me with a glare.
Anna/Linda POVFlint looked sucker punched.The color drained from his face. He stared at Penelope, eyes wide in shock. Then, he shifted his gaze to stare at me before returning to Penelope.I could sympathize with him. It was not every day a woman would tell you you fathered her child. “What did you just say?” He stammered. There was a tremor in his voice that was not there a few moments ago. I am unsure if that is because he was excited about the news or worried about this situation cramping his lifestyle.I heard his brothers at the reception ribbed him.He was a player. I am not sure if he would take the news of having a daughter kindly.At the thought, I felt a sense of gloom, not for me but for my baby. Despite the circumstances of her conception, I didn't want Flint to reject my daughter. That would be heartbreaking. “I don't make it a habit of repeating myself if you didn't hear what I said. Then sorry, better luck next time.” I knew I sounded rude, but dismissing F
Flint POVThe moment I held her in my arms, I was a goner. My daughter! It took all my willpower not to shout at the top of my lungs for fear that I might frighten her, but my chest was near to bursting. It felt constricted. I can’t explain the happiness that filled me at the sight of her. She was so pretty and smart, like her mother. Then, she repeated what I said earlier when I introduced myself, making my chest swell with uncontained pride. “Dad! Dad! Dad!” The way she addressed me jolted me. It went straight to my heart. Penelope waited for my reaction, expecting praise. I did not disappoint her. “Very good! I am your daddy, my little Queen.” I swayed her from side to side, feeling lightheaded at the rapid way things unfolded. Penelope mimicked me again. “Dad-di!” Then, she pointed to Anna and called her. “Ma-mi!” Anna grinned. She stepped closer, hands spread wide, enticing Penelope to come to her, but my girl snubbed her mother. She turned her head away and
Flint POVRelief coursed through me.I have always known Anna is a sensible person and banked on it. That is why it puzzled me when she agreed to run away with me two years ago. More puzzling was her behavior after two days, leaving me without a word. Maybe, I just did not know her. Remembering what happened two years ago made my heart twitch as pain coursed through my heart to settle in the pit of my stomach. But I cast it aside. What matters now is I have them - Anna and my daughter. In the past years, I never thought I would see Anna again. I have to chalk it up to fate when our paths cross again.Or was it Rowan, said a little mocking voice in my head.My face contorted in dismay at the reminder. The idea that my brother and the mother of my child had a connection rankled. It speaks of a closeness that I was not part of. Envy started to build up. Ideas crowded my head. I wanted to put them on the table for discussion to get it off my chest. "What is your relationship with
Flint POV“What? Are you out of your mind?”Anna’s loud voice startled Penelope.Our baby jumped in fright, and she started bawling. Penelope's bottom lip protruded cutely, and her eyes smarted with tears.She pointed at her mother before pressing her face to my neck, seeking comfort. “You don’t have to shout. You frightened our daughter.” I pointed out. The anger on Anna’s face has not abated. In fact, it worsened when she eyed the way Penelope clutched at my neck.It was like our daughter had forgotten her.“Because you say the most st*pid things. We can’t marry each other Flint.” It was a blatant rejection; a first in my case. Even when I was a child, I don’t remember a time when a woman denied me. Well, there will always be a first in everything. Still, her rejection rankled. “Why?” My tone became sharp.I mentally knocked my head.I should be coaxing her, not antagonizing her. But the rebuff I got from her did not sit well with me, especially as I suspect she still hold
Flint POVAfter I got Anna's approval to marry me and agreed to my proposal to try to give Penelope the family she deserves, a mix of unidentified emotions assailed me.It was a victory. I won.I was able to convince Anna that marriage is our best bet.But why do I feel like I lost the battle? Why did I feel like I won an empty fight?Maybe it was because of the sorrow that crossed Anna’s eyes briefly. It was a split second that I even doubted it was there.But my gut feeling tells me something.Anna was not happy w
Anna/Linda POVAfter Flint left, I transferred Penelope to our room. Her head turned around as if she was looking for something or someone. She only spent a few hours with her father, but she has adjusted so well. I think Penelope would be a daddy’s girl. I saw their bond earlier and marveled at how easily Flint got my daughter’s heart. He got you that first night, says the little voice in my head, so there’s really no wonder that Penelope would be attached to her father this early. An apple doesn't fall far from the tree. When she got bored with her toys, she started fussing. She was rubbing her eyes, a sign that she was impatient. It did not help that she was calling for her daddy. “Dad-dy! Dad-dy!” Penelope walked toward the door. She struggled when I grabbed her and placed her back on the floor at the foot of the bed. “Dad-dy!”She was openly crying now. I bent to the waist to carry her. “Shhh, baby. Don’t cry. Daddy will be back.” I swayed her from side to side to get h
Anna/Linda POVWhile Penelope napped, I worked on securing our important stuff - documents, passports, etc. and put them in my tote bag.Then, I took out our suitcases and began packing.Penelope and I didn't have much.This apartment came in fully furnished when we moved in.The only problem I have is how to pack Penelope's favorite toys. I can't leave them here because my baby will look out for them later.An hour later, I heard a knock on the door.I peered into the hole to see it was Flint and was surprise
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