Flint POV
When the four filed out of my office, I turned to Anna and asked.
“Are you disappointed that I shut down your proposal? Tell me, are you still eager to meet your ex?”
I wanted to shut my mouth, but I couldn't unsaid the words I said even when I saw Anna’s face twitch as I slapped her.
Immediately, I vacated my chair to stand at her side.
“I am sorry. That was uncalled for.”
She did not respond, and that triggered my insecurity.
“You don’t trust me,” she
Anna/Linda POVWe did not discuss Logan after that, and I decided not to press. I realized I had to give Flint time to think and absorb whatever I told him. I hope he will do it fast because time is running out. “Let’s go,” Flint said when Penelope awoke. He took her bag and carried her in his arms. Then, he turned around to grab my hand, and we walked alongside each other. “Are we going to Briana’s place right now?”I looked at the time and noticed that we were still early. Flint shook his head. “Not yet. We are going to the restaurant. I am sure my little Queen is hungry.” He made faces at our daughter, making Penelope laugh. We went to Rosewood Hotel’s famous restaurant.At the entrance, we gathered attention, especially the father and daughter. Flint did not seem to care and ignored it. The manager showed us to a secluded table.“We’ll order something light,” Flint said, addressing the wait staff.He also ordered an assortment of fruits for Penelope. “I remembered Ma
Anna/Linda POV“It was a blast!” Flint said when we said goodbye to his family.Penelope was already sleeping in his arms, tired with so much running around.But the happiness on our daughter’s face was unparalleled, especially since she was able to bond with her cousins. Briana made it a point to include everyone. No one was left behind. Before we left, Briana invited all the cousins for a playdate.“On Sunday, let’s do this again. The kids loved it.”I could not agree more. Penelope loved hanging out with her cousins. “Expect us next Sunday,” Flint promised, smiling wide.I could see that the rift I inadvertently caused the siblings had been repaired, and my heart eased somewhat. He exchanged fist bumps with his brothers - Charles, Rowan, and Marcus. Then, Noah. “Let’s have a girl bonding, too,” Hanna suggested.“We will do a manicure and pedicure at the hotel,” Briana said. “Okay, but let Marcus pay for it,” Martina said, looking at her husband, who gave us his approval by st
Flint POVI saw the excitement on her face and toned down the green-eyed monster that was raring to go out of its shell inside me. Anna needed my cooperation, not my resistance. She needed my strength to provide her a haven from life’s raging storms. Her eyes made quick work of her mobile phone, searching for something. Then, her expression lit up. It was as if she arrived at a Eureka moment. “I already found his secretary’s number. It’s in my contact list. I will call him now.” She explained, eager to be done with the deed. I grabbed the phone from her hands and placed it back on the bedside table. “Flint!” She protested.Her head lifted as she followed the direction my hand was going. “Do it tomorrow,” I told her sternly.Anna pouted. “It’s morning in Arkadia today. It’s the best time to call.” She argued, but I was determined to dissuade her from pursuing it now. Timing is always important when taking crucial actions. Plus, her overexcitement does not bode well for me. I
Anna/Linda POVI woke up with a smile on my face. Who wouldn’t when the man of your dreams was the first person you would see when you open your eyes in the morning?“Good morning, dear. I missed you.” Flint said tenderly. I bit my lips because they sometimes get ahead of me. Like right now, I could not stop them from extending at the corners because of how Flint looked at me - like I was the most beautiful thing his eyes laid on. I lifted my hand to cover his face. “Don’t.” Flint peeled my hand away and kissed the back of it. “What?” “Don’t cover my eyes because I want to fill them with this image of you. I want to etch this morning in my memory to remind me of when we were both old and gray.” He told me. I felt a twinge in my heart. His openness filled me with a warm feeling inside. “I like the idea of that.” My voice sounded hoarse because his words affected me very much. He stared at me, waiting for me to expound.“Growing old together. I never had anyone tell me he wa
Anna/Linda POVI have often imagined in my head my meeting with Logan. I have prepared for this eventuality, but nothing beats reality when it hits you in the face. I was dumbstruck, unable to move. Just a while ago, Flint and I were discussing reaching out to him through Goldstone, but the plan was already useless since he was in front of me now. Logan vacated his chair, and in a slow motion, he approached me. I stood frozen on the spot. My brain was not working. Should I leave, or should I stay?My eyes surveyed the cafe, looking for an escape route, if ever. Logan tutted, making me look sharply at him. It was like he guessed what I was doing. Well, we grew up together. Logan knew me. “Relax. It is just me.” He was trying to placate me.Despite the assurance, my head was screaming at me to take caution.This man followed me here from Arkadia, that I was sure of. Otherwise, he would not pretend to be a client to score a meeting with me.My eyes narrowed into slits when he
Anna/Linda POVBlood rushed to my head.“It was my fault that you abandoned your duty to your country. I am to blame. That is why I am here to apologize and hope that things will get back to their rightful place.”“You have such a high opinion of yourself, sir. I left Arkadia not because of you. You may be the catalyst that triggered the decision, but you were not the reason I ran away.” I hissed.I looked around us to ensure we were not attracting the attention of the other customers, heaving a sigh when I noticed that everything looked normal.“If it is not me. Then, why run away in the first place?&rd
Anna/Linda POVFlint pushed Logan aside while his other hand secured Penelope’s head. When Logan was out of the way, Flint took my hand in his firm grip. Logan watched our clasped hands. Shock registered on his face. “I don’t understand.” He stammered in confusion. Flint smirked. “What did you not understand? Anna is married to me. She is my wife.” Flint announced proudly. Logan shook his head. “This is a joke. Anna can’t marry just anyone. You must have to be chosen by the people of Arkadia to be able to suit our future Queen.” Flint snickered. “I don’t need you or your people’s approval to marry her. I already did, and there was nothing you could do about it.”Logan was not to be dissuaded.When Flint turned around, bringing me along with him, Logan snatched my other hand to stall me. I shook his hand off, seeing how Flint was ticked off by his action. “Logan, please don’t make a scene. What he said is true. I am married. ” I informed him. “You can’t marry a commoner,
Flint POVI heard her whimper and realized that I was s*cking the oxygen out of her due to the intensity of my kiss. I pulled back immediately. “Did I hurt you?” I asked in worry. She shook her head, eyes closed, and the sight was the best aphrodisiac in the world for me. “You did not do anything I did not want.” She told me which had the fire in me blazed into flames. She looked at me seriously with her cheeks painted in a pink blush.“I want you, wife,” I told her, panting in my desire. Anna glanced at Penelope. Then, before I could move, she grabbed the back of my head to pull me close to her. “Take me, my dear husband.” She commanded. “Do whatever you want with my body.” Her hoarse voice seduced me to temptation. It was an order that I very much obliged. We indulged in our mutual desire, seeking comfort and warmth in each other's body. I left no part of her skin untouched. I kissed it, and sucked on it, all the while lavishing her with sweet words of wonder. Anna's
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