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
Flint POVNoah came just as we were finishing our meal. “Got a minute?” He poked his head in,Briana beckoned him to come in, and he walked to the table where the three of us were eating. He placed his hands on the balls of Briana’s shoulder. Briana, on the other hand, took Noah's hands to squeeze them before she tipped her head to receive his kiss. The affectionate gesture made me smile inwardly. They had been married for more than ten years. They divorced, separated, and found each other again. Seeing them together like this, no one can deny the love that flows and connects the two. It was hard work, but they are making it happen. “So.” Noah sat beside Briana and munched the apple slice he snatched from her plate. “We already cleared the hotel. The paparazzi and the police are gone.” He informed us after swallowing. “We can leave?” I asked, feeling an easing in my heart at the news. “Yes.”“Were you able to keep Anna’s identity under wraps?” Briana asked, pulling Noah's a
Flint POVWe were startled when the phone in my hand rang.I swiped the screen to answer it immediately.“Storm told me what happened. Are you okay, bro?” It was Rowan on the other end.“We are fine. Storm and his men intercepted Logan Winston. Noah and Brie helped, too.”“How is Anna and Penelope?”I could not help feeling a little tense when he asked about my wife.I had to quell my wavering thoughts about my wife and brother. Anna already clarified their situa
Anna/Linda POVWhen the plane disembarked from the airport’s tarmac, nerves attacked me, and I gripped Flint’s hand.He misinterpreted.“Don’t worry, dear. I am here.” Flint squeezed my hand.I looked at Penelope strapped on her FAA-approved car seat, which Flint’s secretary sent.She was smiling at me. “Mommy! Fly!” The happiness on her face calmed me. I smiled. “Yes, we are flying, sweetie,” I told Penny and chucked her under the chin. She was using Flint’s tablet while watching a movie. When the plane took off, Flint pointed at the window beside her to show the view outside while he never let my hand go. When Penelope lost interest, she resumed watching the movie. Flint turned his attention back to me when I unclasped our hands. “You are not frightened anymore?” He asked. “I was not frightened during take-off, I was worried about what awaited us in Arkadia,” I admitted. When we reached cruising altitude, Flint hugged me close. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed.I could o
Flint POVAnna and I looked at each other without any words passing between us.We were both overwhelmed by the show of support from my family.Then, Anna nudged me because I felt like I was too frozen to move.“Thank you, Briana. Thank you everyone for coming.” Anna said.When we walked out of the airport, there was a lightness to my steps that was not there before.With my entire family to back me up, what could go wrong?I felt like I could tackle even the highest mountain just by having t
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