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
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 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
Brie POV“Congratulations, Mrs. Hunter. You are ten weeks pregnant.”I got out of the doctor’s clinic completely in a daze. Her words echoed in my head, making my heart beat fast. In the midst of grief and pain, finally, there’s some good news, I mused to myself. Ecstatic, I could not help the grin that spread across my face, feeling the slight lifting of the weight on my shoulders. With renewed vigor, I quickened my steps. The elevator opened. I walked out, passing the nurse station on my way to the ICU.“Mrs. Hunter.” The nurse greeted me. “Hi. How’s Noah?” I asked the nurse, feeling a little fatigued. “Still the same. Mr. Hunter has not woken up yet.” The statement dampened my enthusiasm. Still, I marched to my husband’s bed, took the chair, and sat down. The nurse left to give us privacy. I looked at the dearly beloved face of the man I loved, and longing pierced my heart. Involuntarily, my hand lifted to touch his face. I let the tip of my finger trace his eyelids bef
Brie POVTwo things came to my head at once. My husband is awake, and he is divorcing me. “It does not make sense,” I said to Mr. Langley who looked so much like he wanted the ground he stood on to swallow him. His body language screamed of guilt and pity. I can’t stand it anymore. There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere, and the only person who could clarify and explain the questions in my head was my husband, who, I believed, was still lying in the ICU bed. Immediately, I asked one of the company drivers to get a car ready for me, but no one was moving. It looks like everyone knew about Noah’s decision to divorce me except me. I could not help feeling bitter, seeing how these same people who used to bow down in my presence suddenly turned cold and uncaring. How have the tides quickly turned?I pivoted on my heels and started walking back to the hospital. But before I could do that, Uncle Matt called me. When I turned around to inquire, I was shocked when he upended a box
Brie POVAfter signing my name on the divorce agreement, I walked out of Noah’s room as if the devil was after me. There was something about the air in Noah’s hospital room that had me suddenly feeling suffocated. “Mrs. Hunter, are you alright?” One of the nurses asked when she saw me pressing my palm to the wall for support, breathing heavily. The nurse walked up to me and held my arm. “You looked pale. Do you want me to get the doctor?” She asked, sounding concerned. I shook my head. It was then that I realized I had been crying. “I am alright. Thank you.” I told the kind-hearted nurse and hurriedly wiped at my tear-stained cheeks. I winced, feeling a sudden overpowering sense of nausea.“I have to go,” I told her. “Your box.” She reminded. I looked at the box in repugnance and shook my head, my chest constricting in pain. That box represents painful memories of today. I cannot take it. “Can I leave it here? You can throw it away for me.” I said.The elderly nurse looked a
Brie POVNoah must have assumed that I had accepted his accusation with my silence because when he spoke his words were full of venom.“Facts won’t lie Briana. And the report said that someone deliberately caused the accident. Someone tampered with the car.” “It wasn’t me!” I argued in my defense. My voice came out harsh because I never thought that I would become a suspect in the accident. Not in my wildest dreams.“You have the motive.” “What motive?” “Don’t tell me you have forgotten about your lover? Didn’t you plan this whole thing with him so you would be left to inherit our family’s fortune once we were gone?” His voice held his contempt, and my brows furrowed, recalling when I had ever had a lover. “You know I can never kill them. I love Marsha and Danny too much!” I tried to grope for the right words to say to make him see that what he was suggesting was preposterous. I can never kill the two people who took me in from the orphanage when I was young. The ones who had
Brie POVWhen I came around, the overpowering smell of antiseptic was the first thing my mind noticed. I opened my eyes to be greeted by a white ceiling before my sight wandered to take in the white walls, door, and blanket covering half of my body.This time, I already had a fairly good idea about where I was.It was also by this time that I acknowledged the presence of a cannula tube connected to the IV drip and attached to my hand when I got up from bed to sit up. The door burst open, and in came four young handsome, and tall men I haven’t seen before, but their presence suddenly made me feel safe. Their presence was enough to make me feel comforted. I did not feel so alone anymore. “Are you alright?” One of them asked. He had black eyes and brown hair just like me, but my hair color was slightly paler.It felt awkward when I noticed the four of them looking at me, and all I could do was nod yes in response. Their faces looked strikingly similar. “I am Charles Ford.” The s
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
Brent POVI looked at Beth and saw the pink that tinged her cheeks. “I am serious, Beth. I wouldn’t have achieved all this without you as my inspiration. You and Krizzie were the driving force behind my success, so whatever I built with my hands, all I have accomplished, you were a big part of it.” I told her honestly. Beth looked like she was ready to cry. All afternoon, I had been making her cry, and I felt like punching myself. I lifted my hand to wipe her tears. “Please, don’t cry. I never meant to hurt you.” “I am not hurt, silly man.” Beth countered and punctuated her words with a smile. “I am just overwhelmed by everything. First, the proposal and the wedding, and now you are telling me this. I don’t know what I have done to deserve this.” She told me. “You gave me your love, Beth. It was what enabled me to be better every day. Without that love, Beth, I wouldn’t amount to anything.” Her face contorted, but her eyes sparkled in delight. A sheen of tears covered her ey
Beth POVI saw Brent’s nostrils flared as desire as potent as mine, filling his eyes. “I want you.” He admitted when he gathered me close to burrow his face into the crook of my neck.His words made me tremble in his arms. Tingles traveled my spine, and I had to grab Brent to press my arms around his massive back. “Dude, we still have a whole program for you. Don’t ravish your wife in front of us.” Rowan teased. “Says the man who did not ravish his wife in the hospital bed.” Flint inserted suavely, eliciting another round of laughter from all of us. Brent lifted his gaze toward Briana, who seemed to understand what he was going through. In response, Briana clapped her hand to call everyone’s attention. “Everyone, as much as the newlywed couple wanted to spend more time with us, they all wanted to have their privacy to savor this moment.”“Don’t try to be diplomatic, sis. Just say that Brent wanted to have his honeymoon right now.” Flint butted in, much to my consternation. I f
Beth POVI was still in a daze, receiving congratulations from our guests. Until now, I could not believe that it happened. I am married.Brent and I are married.I looked at the man beside me.He caught me staring at him and smiled his happy smile—the unrestrained one I had come to know these past days. Brent looked relaxed and laid back, a far cry from the man I married nine years ago. That man was uptight and looked like the whole world rested on his shoulders. He looked even younger now. “You are frowning.” He commented, leaning close to whisper in my ear. His action startled me. “Don’t hesitate, Beth. Tell me what was in your mind. I would love to hear your thoughts.” He assured me when he saw me stop and hesitate. I bit my lip. This was quite a new feeling, actually. The idea excites me. I wanted to be able to tell him my thoughts because when we first got married, I bottled everything inside. Yes, we are happy, but that happiness was not full. Maybe because I feel th
Brent POVUnlike our first wedding, which was done in less than five minutes at the mayor’s office, I prepared an elaborate impromptu wedding for Beth.When I enlisted my friends’ help, I was not confident they could pull this through, but now, I can safely say that nothing is impossible for the Fords and Hunters. It was tough, but they made it happen. Another thing that raised my concern was Beth’s refusal. I can’t let my friends’ efforts go to waste, but I also prepared myself for the worst. If Beth is not ready, I wouldn't force her. She has to agree to marry me out of her own volition. And I thank God that she did not make any fuss. We only needed to clear the air between us, talk heart-to-heart, and let go of the pain from our past. “Ready?” The coordinator gestured for my best men to start the processional.I chose Flint and Noah because they were my best friends. Then, I walked toward the makeshift altar at the end of the room, where I stopped to wait for Beth. Noah
Beth POVBrent guided me to the private elevator and pressed a button. When the door opened, I was surprised by the view that greeted us. The whole place sparkled with fairy lights, with the night sky as an overhead backdrop. It was breathtaking. “Oh my! This looks spectacular, Brent.” I said, seeking the warmth of his hand while my eyes took in everything around us. Brent joined our fingers together and placed them on his lips to kiss. “Thanks to my friends. They did all the work. When they learned that I would be proposing today, they immediately worked to make a dreamy venue for us.” I made a mental note to thank each of Brent’s friends for their support. My eyes scanned the whole place. Flowers littered the floor, giving off a romantic vibe to the place. I took a whiff. The place even smelled divine, like I was in a magical place. Everything looks perfect. I looked at myself and felt like royalty. Brent did not help as he kept gazing at me like I was the most beautiful
Beth POV “Oh my!” I said dazedly. Brent stopped to scrutinize my face. “You are not going to change your mind, are you?” He asked, looking nervous.“You see, it would be a shame to cancel everything.” He added. It was like he was trying to convince me not to change my mind about marrying him. I laughed and shook my head. “Of course not. I told you I was going to marry you. Whether it’s now or on a later day does not matter.” I assured him and saw the expression on his face. He expelled the breath that he was holding and hugged me tight. “Thank you, sweetie. You know that money is not a problem, but I can’t let a day pass that you are not bound to me. I want to tie our lives forever and never separate.” He admitted. I understand what he meant. I do.Though Brent’s decision took me by surprise, I don’t have any objections to it. I wanted to be married to him right away, too. After all we had been through, I realized we already wasted so much time with our pride. We don’t